Online Reporter
Mashonaland West Bureau
Mashonaland West Province has surpassed its summer maize planting target and is anticipating another strong harvest.
This success comes alongside a concerted push for farmers to integrate traditional, drought-resistant grains into their cultivation plans.
The province exceeded its goal of 340 000 hectares, planting over 351 000 hectares of maize.
A notable contributor to this achievement is farmer Mr Job Ndalu of End Base Farm in Zvimba, who expects a yield of 10 to 12 tonnes per hectare from his 51-hectare maize field. Mr Ndalu’s diversified 200-hectare joint venture also includes traditional grains and tobacco.
During a visit to the farm, Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, highlighted the dual strategy of partnership and crop diversification.
“Joint ventures are proving to be the best in improving food security,” said Professor Jiri.
He encouraged commercial farmers to invest in traditional grains such as sorghum and finger millet to enhance food security and build climate resilience.
“I am encouraging commercial farmers in Zimbabwe to plant traditional grains. These crops thrive in low-rainfall areas, require minimal inputs and are naturally bio-fortified, making them an ideal choice for resilient agriculture,” he added.
While the province planted over 27 000 hectares of sorghum, it fell short of the 46 000-hectare target for the year.
Professor Jiri underlined the critical need for this agricultural shift, citing climate projections.
“Climate change will only get worse. The only thing we can do is to adapt to it,” he said.
He referenced scientific forecasts indicating Zimbabwe could lose 20 percent of its maize-growing area by 2050 due to rising temperatures and more erratic rainfall, advocating diversification as a key adaptive “smart climate solution.”
Mrs Evelyn Ndoro, the Ministry’s provincial director for Mashonaland West, confirmed the successful season.
“Mashonaland West Province has surpassed its maize target of 340 000 ha, having almost 352 000 ha under the crop and planted more than 26 000 ha of sorghum,” she said, noting the current season outperformed the previous three.
