Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
THE Green Climate Fund Project has partnered with research centres and agriculture institutions in the country to assist farmers in developing adaptive abilities and resilience to climate change shocks.
Green Climate Fund Project’s climate-smart agriculture expert, Dr Nelson Chanza, said they were working with Matopos Research Institute and Esigodini Agricultural College in Matabeleland South, Makoholi Research Institute and Chiredzi Research Institute in Masvingo, as well as Chisumbanje Research Institute in Manicaland Province.
Under the programme, farmers can visit these institutions to be equipped with various skills and knowledge under the farmer field school concept. The Green Climate Fund Project in Southern Zimbabwe helps vulnerable communities, particularly women, to adapt to the impacts of climate change on agriculture.
The project is implemented by the Government, which provides expertise, overall guidance and leadership alongside the United Nations Development Programme, which manages the grant and offers technical support.
“The project is working in agricultural research institutions and colleges, which are found in the three provinces where the project is being implemented,” said Dr Chanza.
“These are Matabeleland South, Manicaland and Masvingo Provinces. The innovation platforms have been set to address barriers that farmers face in adapting their farming practices to climatic disturbances and other shocks,” he added.
“Under this project, we are looking at these innovation platforms as participatory places that are created for the joint analysis of problems and the collective identification of solutions, for farmers to be able to effectively transform their subsistence oriented farming to climate resilient and sustainable livelihoods.”
Dr Chanza said the project was roping in various value chain actors at each of the innovation platforms. These include farmers, researchers, extension agencies such as Agritex and other Government agencies that provide services to farmers.
He said the barriers being addressed include limited access to climate resilient quality seeds, access to climate resilient livestock breeds, poor nutrition triggered by drought, degradation of landscapes and market access.
Dr Chanza said to address the challenge of climate resilience and quality seeds, the programme through utilising innovation platforms, has engaged in seed production and multiplication.
He said the focus is on the multiplication of sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet and cow peas, which has been a neglected value chain. The project is also focusing on the production of fodder namely lab, sun hem and velvet bean.
“We have followed a participatory variety selection approach where farmers get an opportunity to work together with breeders and agronomists in selecting varieties, which they prefer according to their performance,” said Dr Chanza.
“Under the problem of inferior livestock breeds that are prone to drought, heat and diseases, the project is focusing on improving indigenous cattle and goat breeds.
“At Matopos Research Institute, we have established a gene bank and a semen processing and analysis centre. This is intended to lead to improved livestock breeds, which the farmers can also access as they try to replenish their breeds. Most of the breeds have been lost due to drought induced deaths,” he said.
Dr Chanza said inadequate feed and nutritional challenges remain a major threat to the livestock value chain. He said the partnership with innovative platforms also seeks to improve feeding and nutrition through range improvement and feed formulation.
Farmers are also trained in harnessing locally available resources to feed their animals. Dr Chanza said the programme is also promoting agroforestry through multiplication of multi-purpose trees, which are also high in nutrient value, especially for feed mixing.
The focus is also on the production of fruit trees and drought-resistant varieties with farmers being trained on production of these. “The project through innovation platforms is facilitating market linkages. Farmers are being trained to engage in market research while incorporating some private players to support farmers as they work in groups,” said Dr Chanza. — @DubeMatutu
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