Chronicle Editor
Rutendo Mapfumo, New Ziana
SMALL grain farming has raised hope for farmers in rural Jambezi in Hwange District despite the El Nino induced drought that has ravaged most parts of Matabeleland Province.
Jambezi area, is known for receiving little rainfall and is one of Zimbabwe’s driest regions, where in the yesteryears people would survive on only one meal a day owing to bad harvests, due to poor rains.
The coming of smart climate farming and growing of drought resistant crops such as sorghum, has changed the lives of most Jambezi farmers in rural Hwange communities.
Speaking to farmers during a recently held field day, hosted by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in Jambezi, the farmers praised the small grain farming initiative by Smallholder Agriculture Cluster Project (SACP), saying it is life changing.
“For seven years, I have been growing maize for family consumption, but we never yielded anything tangible; hunger was stalking us every season. When we were taught the benefits of growing small grain in our region, I quickly switched and embraced the new methods,” said Dumisani Shoko a farmer from Jambezi.
“It was difficult at first for my children to eat (inzembwe) sorghum sadza, but with time they had to adjust; it’s healthy and brings good income when I sell the mealie-meal.” he explained.
Simon Dube, a Ward Seven farmer also in Jambezi village added: “I started farming in 1992, I decided to advance my farming skills and that is when I learnt more about smart climate farming. I sell my produce and my family has never grown hungry from the time I started small grain farming.”
He explained that he switched to growing sorghum because of its resistance to drought.
“Sorghum never lets you down even during a bad season,” he continued.
The farmers have established an association called the Jambezi Small Grains Producers (Jaspro), where they combined their efforts for community alleviation through selling by-products of small grain farming.
At least 1 000 farmers are involved in the project from Binga and Hwange districts.
The farmers mainly specialise in farming small grains and the results are said to be good.
“We have products, processed and packaged and ready for market, a 5kg of Jaspro sorghum mealie-meal is worth US$5,” said a farmer.
The Matabeleland North Province Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development, Dumisani Nyoni said rural farmers should embrace small grain farming as a measure of tackling drought.
“The hanging climatic conditions, which include frequent droughts, shifts in the times when rainfall starts and ends and long mid-season dry spells – have made growing maize in arid regions like Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland North Province a risk. It is therefore important for farmers to embrace small grain farming for food security,” said Nyoni.
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa declared Zimbabwe’s drought a state of disaster and said the country needed more than $2 billion in aid to feed millions facing hunger.
The President said more than 2.7 million people in Zimbabwe need food assistance this year, as 80 percent of the country had received poor rains.
Online Reporter