Story by Gay Matambo
The production of traditional grains and conservation of indigenous seed varieties has been cited as key to ensuring food security in the dry parts of the country.
This was brought to the fore during a Food and Seed Festival held at Neshuro Growth Point in Mwenezi District.
Farmers who were showcasing their products at the annual event said the festival is a platform for them to share notes on how to build a more sustainable and resilient food system through traditional grain production.
“I’m a communal farmer based in Maranda. We have been taught to grow traditional grains and let me say traditional grains production under the Pfumvudza programme has boosted our yields,” said a farmer.
Another said, “We are happy with this festival because we are sharing seed and notes with other farmers and we are also selling traditional grain seeds to other farmers who want the seeds. We now know many benefits of growing traditional grains through this festival and we are grateful.”
The festival also challenged communal farmers in dry areas to embrace climate-smart agriculture techniques aimed at enhancing livelihoods while increasing climate resilience.
Mwenezi Development Training Centre executive director, Ms Promise Makoni said, “We were celebrating our food in a way of promoting local food systems and Mwenezi district has been hit hard by perennial droughts due to erratic rainfall patterns. I’m happy that today we were celebrating the success of the farmers who managed to harvest something from their fields because they grew traditional grains which are drought tolerant.”
“We have seen the displays by farmers and we are happy that farmers have taken heed of the government’s call to grow traditional grains and practice climate-smart agriculture. I urge farmers to listen to what their Agritex officers teach them. We should all embrace traditional grains production in the face of the climate-induced drought,” Chivi district crop and livestock officer, Mr Taringana Makiwa.
This year’s Mwenezi Food and Seed Festival was running under the theme: “Celebrating the Diversity and Resilience of Zimbabwean Foods”.
