In the wake of the El Nino induced drought which has ravaged most rural communities in the country, farmers have been urged to start growing small grains which are resistant to the recurrent droughts .
The country is reeling from a massive hunger compounded by a massive drought during the 2015/16 farming season with little below average rainfall having been received.
Addressing villagers who thronged Chibika Business Center in Pfungwe, Murehwa, for the Seed and Food Fair which coincided with a climate change hearing organized by Oxfam in Zimbabwe, Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development Deputy Minister Abigail Damasane challenged farmers to resort to small grains as they can help in the fight against hunger and poverty.
She said “As we continue to face critical food challenges brought about by the El Nino drought, it is important that farmers start growing small grains.
“Not only do they provide a healthy diet, but they can withstand poor rains and they take less time to ripe than the dominant and most preferred staple food, maize.
“The onus is on us as farmers, to think deeply about how we are going to be fending for our families especially in the coming season, its take we shift our focus to these small grains for both better nutrition and sustainable harvest,” she said
She added that government stands ready to assist farmers with farming inputs and expertise on how to grow the small grains for a better yield.
Damasane said through the Command Seed Program recently launched by government, farmers stand to benefit through the provision of both farming inputs as well as technical knowledge on how to shift from the growing of maize to small grains like Rapoko, Sorghum, finger millet, sweet potatoes, barley and many others.
With the main focus being on Women and how they can tackle climate change, small scale farmers held a Seed and Food Fair where they were showcasing their success stories in as far as growing small grain crops is concerned.
Farmers who spoke to 263chat said they are overwhelmed by how they have managed to move on from the growing of maize to small crops and shared their joy on how they have managed to provide food for their families.
Said one farmer from Tsholotsho, Barbra Mutize “I’m happy that I have managed to fight hunger through growing drought resistant crops such as sorghum, groundnuts and Rapoko.
“It was not easy to shift from the conventional staple to these crops, but it paid off as now my family cannot afford to sleep on empty stomachs due to food shortages, I now have a wide range of options in what they can eat on each day,” she said.
Another female farmer, Shelly Chin ’ana, urged farmers to adapt to climate change through the growing of small grain crops.
She said “not only do Rapoko, sorghum, finger millet and other small grains provide mealie -meal for my family, I’m using them to bake scones, cakes and even make some biscuits,” she said.
However some villagers said they wish to do the same projects but lack of financial resources to start such projects has been a major difficulty.
Thousands of families, especially in low lying areas, in Regions four and five, have been heavily affected with some going for days without access to nutritional food supplies.
However the meteorological department has predicted normal to above normal rainfall throughout the country but farmers have been warned to be on the lookout of floods which could hamper harvest come the end of the 2016/17 farming season.
Meanwhile, Oxfam Zimbabwe maintains that urgent action is needed to transform agriculture in Zimbabwe so that the country becomes more resilient to the changing climate and its associated impacts on food, water and nutrition.
The Nonprofit making organization said the food crisis shows what happens when there are no adequate investigates in agriculture so that farmers can adapt to the effects of climate change.
“The challenge of adapting to climate change is huge and will require a major upscale of investment on top of what is needed to reverse the current under-capitalization of smallholder agriculture in Zimbabwe.
“Investment is needed for things such as early warning systems, expanding extension services and research and development especially into climate resilient crops such as small grains,” said Oxfam Zimbabwe.
