Gibson Nyikadzino
Zimpapers Politics Hub
Zimbabwe and India are exploring expanded bilateral cooperation in agriculture, with a particular focus on millets and other traditional grains as tools for building climate resilience and food security.
The development follows discussions held by Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri and India’s Ambassador Brahma Kumar on Wednesday.
The meeting highlighted growing convergence between the two countries on sustainable farming, crop diversification and nutrition security, as both nations grapple with the challenges posed by climate change and drought.
Both sides agreed on the potential for deeper collaboration in research, knowledge-sharing and the exchange of best practices in millet cultivation, processing and value addition.
Prof Jiri outlined Zimbabwe’s ongoing efforts to move beyond its traditional reliance on maize by promoting drought-tolerant crops such as millets, pointing out to the nutritional value of these grains and their suitability for regions affected by recurrent droughts, erratic rainfall and limited water availability.
He said the ability of small grains to withstand high temperatures while requiring relatively little water makes them valuable alternatives for strengthening the country’s agricultural resilience.
Ambassador Kumar briefed Prof Jiri on India’s MAHARISHI initiative – the Millets and other Ancient Grains International Research Initiative – which promotes research, awareness and international cooperation in the cultivation and use of millets and ancient grains.
He shared India’s experience in advancing food and nutrition security through agricultural innovation, crop diversification and the promotion of climate-resilient crops.
The meeting reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to strengthening cooperation through technical exchanges, research partnerships and institutional collaboration in areas such as climate – resilient farming, water-efficient irrigation, mechanisation and agro-processing.
As Zimbabwe seeks to diversify its agriculture while India positions itself as a global leader in food production and processing, the two nations appear set to build a partnership grounded in shared challenges and shared solutions.
