Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
VILLAGERS in Ward 24 in Gwanda have established a nutritional garden to ensure food and nutrition security under the Government-led Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Programme (SIRP).
During a field day at Tswaranani Garden in Nhwali area Ward 24 on Wednesday, farmers spoke on how the garden had become a source of livelihood for them and eased their nutrition challenges.
Farmers in Matabeleland South Province have been encouraged to establish nutritional gardens and venture into irrigation farming in order to ensure food security. The province receives low rainfall resulting in poor performance of crops.
Ms Rebecca Dube who is the project treasurer said the garden was established in October last year and members had harvested produce valued at about R3 800.
“We started Tswaranani Garden in October last year. A community member donated his garden and then we turned it into a community garden. At the moment we have 20 members. We grow an assortment of crops and plants in this garden and we sell some for income and the surplus with our families for nutrition.
“We are growing egg plants, spinach, butternuts, tomatoes, water melon, beans, groundnuts, round nuts, sorghum and other small grains and vegetables. We also grow fodder for feeding our livestock. We managed to harvest spinach, butternut, water melons, egg plant and tomatoes and we raised a total income of R3 840. This garden has brought a huge sigh of relief as we can now fend for our families,” she said.
Ms Dube said the community wished to expand the garden in physical size and variety of produce.
Mr Tadios Sibanda who is chairperson of the project said SIRP assisted them with fertiliser and seed. He said members received training from Agritex on proper farming methods.
Mr Sibanda said they were trained on how to deal with parasites, and properly water their crops while preserving water and shown skills to market their produce.
Speaking during the event Matabeleland South provincial livestock and crop production development officer, Ms Simangaliphi Ngwabi said the SIRP which was launched in November 2017 is meant to assist the revitalisation of irrigation schemes across the nation through rehabilitation of infrastructure. It is a Government-led programme funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). She said one-hectare nutrition gardens will also be established under the project.
Ms Ngwabi said under the programme they were using farmer field schools where farmers were sharing their knowledge and experience on farming while working in their gardens with the guidance of farming experts. She said they realised that some farmers were struggling to learn through the formal way of sitting in classes because of old age.
“The purpose of nutrition gardens is to ensure food and nutrition security within communities. Our desire is that each ward may have several nutrition gardens. We are in a dry area suitable for livestock farming and therefore crops don’t perform well and therefore irrigation farming and nutrition gardens are the way to go.
“We want communities to commit themselves in ending and fighting poverty and one way is through agriculture. If we have similar projects in each ward of the province then our communities will develop. Under the SIRP programme we are targeting rehabilitation of 10 irrigation schemes in nine wards in Gwanda and each ward will get a nutrition garden,” she said.
Ms Ngwabi said given the prevailing conditions caused by climate change farmers had to adopt suitable farming methods and incorporate new farming ones to make a living. – @DubeMatutu
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