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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu
Bulawayo Bureau
TRADITIONAL grain farmer, Mr Simon Mkhwananzi from Gwanda has started harvesting sorghum on his two and half hectare field following a successful farming season after taking heed of Government’s call for farmers to adopt traditional grains.
Mr Mkhwananzi from Lushongwe Village has 1,5 hectares under sorghum and is expecting to harvest 1,2 tonnes. He also has one hectare under pearl millet and he is expecting a yield of about half a tonne.
He has two hectares under Intwasa/Pfumvudza and half hectare under conventional farming.
Mr Mkhwananzi also planted maize crop in another field but it became a write-off.
Most parts of the district received low rains leaving farmers who had planted mostly maize in despair but those who planted traditional grains are expecting a good harvest.
Under the Presidential Input Scheme this season, the Government is targeting 312 890 ha under traditional grains such as sorghum and pearl millet with a projected combined yield of 318 383 tonnes. This is reflected in the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme where farmers in areas unsuitable or marginal for maize received traditional grain seed packs instead, to boost the chances of a decent harvest, and even in the wetter area are advised to plant one plot to traditional grain.
Maize has been a popular crop, with many farmers producing it at commercial level, while others in the drier parts of the country have also continued to try their luck despite low yields and the risk of a write-off. But traditional crops such as sorghum, pearl millet and rapoko are slowly becoming popular as people are becoming aware of their high nutritional value and improvement in technology which has seen the introduction of machinery for processing them.
Mr Mkhwananzi who recently hosted a field day in his community said the crop that he planted under Intwasa/Pfumvudza using the holing system performed very well.
“I have been producing traditional over the past years and my plan is to phase out maize as it hasn’t been performing very well. This farming season like previous years I focused more on traditional grains although I also planted maize crop under a small portion. I planted most of my traditional grains using Gatshompo and they did very well. I planted some of my traditional grains under conventional farming but the crop didn’t perform as much,” he said.
“I have learnt over the years that traditional grains perform well better than maize crop in our area. Planting crops under Gatshompo makes them perform even better. Next farming season I will put all my area under traditional grains because maize hasn’t been performing well.”
Mr Mkhwananzi said while his area received poor rains traditional grains were in a good condition. He urged other farmers to adopt small grains in order to ensure that they could harvest.
Mr Mkhwananzi said he has never gone wrong producing traditional grains. He said it was a relief as Government was supporting production of traditional grains through inputs. Mr Mkhwananzi received traditional grain seed under the Presidential Input Scheme.
He said he planted his crop early after the first rains in November which has helped improve his yield.
Mr Mkhwananzi said he takes every farming season seriously because farming is his source of livelihood. He said working in the fields is like an occupation for him.
Mr Mkhwananzi said the advice he gets from Agritex extension officers was helping him to improve his yield each year.
“This is my fourth year growing mainly traditional grains and I have been recording good harvest. This year I’m expecting to harvest 1,2 tonnes under sorghum and about one tonne under pearl millet. The pearl millet didn’t do very well because of extreme dry conditions. This year the rains have been very poor but nevertheless my crop survived,” he said. Mr Mkhwananzi said the traditional grains which he produces have been a reliable source of livelihood for him for the past years. He usually sells traditional grains to community members. Mr Mkhwananzi sells some of his traditional grains in exchange for small livestock such as goats,” he said.
Mr Mkhwananzi said he sells a 20 litre bucket of pearl millet or sorghum for R150. He said the proceeds he makes through selling traditional grains have helped him put his children through school. He said this year there will be high demand for his traditional grains as many farmers had lost their crops.
Acting provincial director of agricultural rural development and advisory services for Matabeleland South, Mr Mkhunjulelwa Ndlovu said farmers in Gwanda District who focused more on traditional grains were expecting a good harvest.
He said the purpose of the field day was to motivate other farmers to adopt best farming practices. Mr Ndlovu said some farmers were still hesitant to adopt traditional grains but the losses they were suffering each year were serving as a lesson.
“In Gwanda District as some parts of the province farmers who embraced the pronouncement by Government of growing traditional grains will be guaranteed of a good harvest. Most farmers who focused more on maize are in trouble. We hope that farmers will learn from the losses and success of others so that they can adopt best farming practices”.
“More and more farmers are coming up and adopting traditional. Each year there is an improvement and we hope that eventually all farmers will make the shift,” Mr Ndlovu said.
Online Reporter