Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya-Beitbridge Bureau
GOVERNMENT, working together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is supporting smallholder farmers in Chiredzi and Mwenezi districts who are adopting climate-smart agriculture to enhance food security and strengthen resilience to climate change.
This is being implemented under the Strengthening Climate Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods in Southern Zimbabwe, partnership involving the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Green Climate Fund.
In a statement this week, UNDP Zimbabwe said the project was enabling farmers to diversify crops and engage in value chains that can withstand climate shocks while generating income.
“Supported by Farmer Field Schools and Agroecology Demonstration Sites, the initiative promotes knowledge exchange and encourages the uptake of climate-resilient technologies and practices,” said the organisation.
“Key to the approach is the establishment of functional, inclusive value chains that help farmers produce for markets.
“In Chiredzi and Mwenezi, this has led to the cultivation of high-value crops like garlic, chilli, tomatoes and onions, supported by irrigation infrastructure such as drip systems and solar-powered boreholes”.
UNDP (Zimbabwe) added that the initiative is also supporting the farmers with inputs, training, and market access, linking them with private sector actors and aggregators.
It said through this model, participating farmers — many of them women — were able to produce consistently and sell in bulk, improving their earnings and reducing climate-related risks.
Other organisations supporting the programme include Practical Action and Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre.
“The project is also helping to build sustainable agricultural enterprises that can support long-term community resilience,” said the organisation.
“UNDP Zimbabwe remains committed to supporting inclusive, climate-resilient development models that benefit smallholder farmers and strengthen rural livelihoods”.
Peter Tanyanyiwa