Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe
Zimpapers Business Hub
IN the face of recurring mid-season droughts that continue to plague the Matabeleland region, a local organisation is spearheading a promising agro-based intervention to enhance food security and climate resilience among smallholder farmers.
Sisonke Working Together Trust, a Bulawayo-based livelihoods-focused trust, has embarked on an ambitious campaign to promote drought-tolerant crops such as sorghum, pearl millet, rapoko, cowpeas, groundnuts and mbambara nuts.
Speaking on the initiative, Mr Themba Phiri, Director and Founder of Sisonke Working Together Trust, stressed the urgent need to shift from traditional crops to more resilient varieties that can withstand the region’s unpredictable weather patterns.
“The Matabeleland region as a whole always experiences mid-season droughts, resulting in most farmers not having meaningful harvests. As an organisation, we took note of that and came up with an intervention promoting sorghum, millet, rapoko, cowpeas, groundnuts and mbambara nuts,” said Mr Phiri.
Recognising the importance of research-backed interventions, the Trust collaborated with the Matopos Research Institution.
“We approached Matopos Research Institution and they managed to donate sorghum and pearl millet seeds,” Mr Phiri explained. “These were early-maturing varieties, and we are seeing wonders with these two crops.”
In Matabeleland South’s Lubhangwe Ward 1 in Matobo and Bulilima Ward 4, the early-maturing small grains are thriving, bringing hope to many farmers who previously faced recurrent crop failure.
Sisonke Working Together Trust continues to promote climate-smart agriculture through field days and community training sessions.
As an adaptation strategy, the organisation on Monday held a field day promoting small grains in the form of sorghum and pearl millet,”
“Our program promotes food security and nutrition using regenerative agriculture practices.
“We believe that empowering communities with knowledge and resources is key to building resilience against climate change.”
Bongani Ndlovu