Online Reporter
Conrad Mupesa
Mashonaland West Bureau
THE Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) 200ha+ Club has partnered with Government to roll out summer cropping and drought-mitigation workshops across the country’s 10 provinces as Zimbabwe prepares for anticipated below-normal rainfall.
The programme was launched at a meeting attended by farmers, Agritex officials and district development coordinators in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West, on Wednesday, to map strategies for boosting grain production and strengthening food security.
Officiating at the workshop, Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Marian Chombo, represented by her director of economic affairs and investment, Mr Douglas Chiwiro, said the province had a key role to play in ensuring national food security.
Mashonaland West, regarded as the country’s traditional breadbasket, contributes about 30 per cent of Zimbabwe’s cereal requirements.
“As a province, we must know what is expected to be produced, where production will take place, what inputs will be required, what financing is available, what mechanisation support is needed and how irrigation will contribute to both provincial and national GDP,” she said.
Provincial Director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Mr Caristo Masiwa, said farmers should intensify production through climate-smart farming practices in response to the anticipated below-normal rainfall.
He urged farmers to increase the number of Pfumvudza/Intwasa plots while expanding irrigation-based production to reduce reliance on rainfall.
Mr Masiwa said the province also intended to increase the number of village business units from the current 200 to strengthen local food production and resilience.
“We are encouraging farmers to grow crops that are suitable for their areas to avoid farmer-induced droughts. There are areas where maize is not advisable, hence the need to promote traditional grains,” he said.
SGR200ha+ Club Zimbabwe president Mr Tichaona Mapfoche said the organisation was ready to mobilise its membership and maximise land under irrigation to complement Government’s efforts to secure adequate grain supplies.
“Our members have the land, experience and capacity to produce, and we are ready to work with Government to ensure that every available hectare, particularly under irrigation, contributes to national food security,” he said.
The club brings together high-capacity commercial farmers and emerging producers under a common vision of strengthening national food sovereignty through mentorship, large-scale grain production, aggregation and climate-smart farming.
It currently has about 500 members countrywide and plans to recruit more farmers.
As part of efforts to align its members with national development priorities, the club is also encouraging them to attend the Chitepo School of Ideology.
The initiative has grown significantly since its establishment, from 15 young farmers in 2023 into a network whose members are now producing across an estimated 10 000 to 15 000 hectares through joint ventures.
Through its Hub-and-Spoke mentorship model, the club seeks to improve access to finance, expand irrigation, promote knowledge transfer and increase productivity, while strengthening climate resilience and national grain security.
