Story by Gay Matambo
The sugar -cane growing sector is looking at strengthening climate resilience strategies to protect yield capacity .
This comes as the industry is targeting to boost its production by a further 100 000 metric tonnes .
At a time when Zimbabwe is reeling from the effects of the El Nino-induced drought, sugarcane outgrowers have underscored the need for a multifaceted approach to ensure the sugar industry achieves its targets by year 2030 in the face of climate change.
“We have a vision of increasing sugarcane deliveries to the mills to 600000 from 500000 hence the knowledge we have attained here we will implement it on the ground to make sure that we stick to the routine measures that make us grow good cane while adapting to the changing climate,” said an outgrower
“As new farmers we didn’t have sufficient knowledge on how to grow cane but it’s important that new farmers and experienced farmers come together so that we boost sugarcane production,” noted another.
Constraints which impacted on sugarcane production in 2024 which include delayed supply of agricultural inputs and the non availability of irrigation water due to drought were also put under the spotlight during the graduation ceremony.
“The industry has experienced a number of hardships this year and these challenges are beyond the farmers control and that is what is causing the sleepless nights for some of them. As an industry we should put our heads together and come up with possible solutions,”explained Director Zimbabwe Sugar Association Experiment Station, Dr Audrey Mabveni.
Officiating at the graduation ceremony, Zimbabwe Sugar Association Chief Executive Officer, Mr Edwin Kondo said the farmers certificate course in sugarcane production is a step in the right direction towards addressing the challenges faced by the country’s sugar industry.
“As graduates of this esteemed institution you are not just leaving here as graduates but you are stepping into the world as ambassadors of progress ready to contribute to the development of our nation and beyond,” he said.
The 2024 ZSAES graduation ceremony saw 42 sugarcane outgrowers being awarded a farmer’s certificate course in sugarcane production.
