Story by Yolanda Moyo
A smallholder farmer in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North Province, is reaping the benefits of agro-tailoring after successfully cultivating sorghum, demonstrating how climate-smart agriculture is transforming rural livelihoods and strengthening household food security.
The success story reflects growing momentum around agro-tailoring, a farming approach encouraging farmers to grow crops suitable for their climatic conditions.
What began as a small plot has since grown into a thriving red sorghum field for the Ntabazinduna farmer, whose determination and adoption of climate-appropriate crops have significantly improved yields and household income over the years.
“I started with a very small portion of land because I wanted to see if the crop would perform well here. When I realised that the red sorghum was doing well despite the dry conditions, I expanded my field. Now I am harvesting much more and even supplying others in the community. It has helped improve food security in my household and given me confidence that even in difficult seasons we can still produce,” smallholder farmer, Mrs Otty Mpofu said.
Agricultural expert, Mr Ivan Craig, says the success of the crop demonstrates the importance of adopting traditional grains that thrive in semi-arid regions.
“Red sorghum is highly suited for regions such as Matabeleland North because it is drought-tolerant and requires less water compared to maize. Smallholder farmers should learn from such examples and consider diversifying into traditional grains, which offer both nutritional and economic benefits.”
Government has also been encouraging farmers to embrace agro-tailoring as part of broader efforts to build resilience in agriculture and protect households from climate shocks.
“So here we see the value of agro-ecological tailoring, agro-ecological matching, growing the right crop in the right region. We also see the value of Pfumvudza programming when done well. So, when you combine Pfumvudza, holing out, application of manure, application of lime, and putting the right crop for the area, this is the result: where you get a good crop even when the rains are not as much. In the midst of a mid-season drought, your crop still looks very good because of the Pfumvudza programming.
“The government is still encouraging that we do agro-ecological tailoring. It is still encouraging that we grow traditional grains in regions four and five; we grow traditional grains in region three; and also, where possible, even in regions one and two, you can still do traditional grains because that is what our climate dictates.
“The value of agro-ecological tailoring and matching cannot be underestimated. We must match our agro-ecological regions to our crops,” Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri said.
With the combined efforts of the Pfumvudza programme and the strategic shift towards drought-tolerant traditional grains, Zimbabwe is firmly on the path towards an expected bumper harvest this summer cropping season.
