Promote production of small grains in drought-prone areas

receive some help to get back on their feet.
The Government, despite the lack of financial resources so common to developing countries, has taken these responsibilities seriously.
Yesterday we carried a story that thousands of Zimbabweans in dry regions are facing acute food shortages.
The bulk of these areas fall along the country’s borders and are in natural agro-ecological regions 4 and 5 where rainfall is erratic and sometimes as low as 250mm per year.
Instead of seeing people starve in these areas the Government has ordered the Grain Marketing Board to move grain to all deficit areas across the country.
Sadly, the move has not brought much relief to the distressed households, as they cannot afford the US$16 for a bag of maize the GMB is asking for and neither can the GMB slash the price.
Reports say the uptake of the grain is very slow. The people are finding the price unaffordable. Those with cattle and goats are now selling them to buy grain.
True, the Government has gone to great lengths to provide the grain at most GMB selling points.
We still feel the Government should do something about the price although it’s already subsidised.
The extent of the food crisis has even shocked senior Government leaders in the affected areas.
Some traditional leaders have been forced to appeal to Government to push for the reduction in the price of a 50kg bag of maize from US$16 to US$10 per bag.
The majority of families have no disposable incomes. Smaller quantities would even sell more easily.
The Government should urgently re-introduce food-for-work programmes in the affected areas to ensure the availability of food to the disadvantaged.
When the food-for-work programme was first introduced it had the merit that those wishing to qualify for a handout had to work for it.
This was a noble idea.
However, there were problems, with some people not putting in a day’s work for a day’s pay.
The important point for those who administer these schemes is to remember that those who need help get it and that those who can work but have been hit by famine do not get a free ride.
They must work for the food. With reasonably enough food, villagers in the drought-hit areas will be able to prepare their land and tend crops in the hope that the next season they will not have to turn to the State for more assistance.
However, we need to ensure that the right crop is grown in the affected provinces.
Some of the poor harvests repeatedly registered in these regions, are largely the results of growing crops that are inappropriate for the rainfall for a given region.
Much has been said about small grains but little has been done to promote their acceptability, planting, use and consumption.
Sorghum, mhunga and rapoko are indigenous to Africa.
They were the grains that fed the people of this country from the arrival of agricultural economies more than 2 000 years ago until well into the last century.
We agree that most research into grains in Zimbabwe concentrated on maize, but since independence a great deal of research has been done on the sorghum to produce varieties that give better yields and better taste.
Few seem willing to use that research, preferring instead, to see a maize crop wilt and die.
We challenge Government leaders in the drought prone areas to be at the forefront to promote growing of drought resistant crops. They should not leave this to Agritex officials.
Farmers, especially communal ones, should be urged to seek the advice of Agritex officials on the most suitable crops to grow.
As it is now difficult to follow the weather pattern, farmers should plan so that they can be in a situation to control their programmes.
It has not been easy to persuade some farmers and villagers in Zimbabwe, who are in areas which receive less rainfall to concentrate on crops that are suitable for their regions.
Millet and sorghum should be promoted as the ideal food crops for those in the arid regions.
People should be persuaded to grow them as cash crops, after marketing the crops, the villagers could then use the money to buy maize and other crops they prefer.
If the people in Masvingo, Matabeleland provinces and other semi-arid regions continue to shun sorghum and millet the sad spectacle of severe food shortages in these areas will continue to haunt us.