Story by Courage Bushe
COMMUNAL farmers in the Mabasa area of Zvishavane District are optimistic about achieving a successful harvest, following their enthusiastic adoption of the government’s call to focus on traditional grains production as a climate-resilient agricultural practice.
The farmers expressed their confidence during a traditional grains field day held in the area on Monday, citing improved yields and enhanced food security since shifting away from conventional maize farming.
“We have noticed that if we grow maize, we normally do not have a good harvest, and ever since we fully adopted traditional grain production, we have never experienced hunger in our area,” a farmer said.
Host farmer, Mr Moses Verengera is a shining example of the successful implementation of the traditional grains concept.
“I have followed all the government’s calls for climate-smart agriculture, and Pfumvudza helped me to achieve good harvests. I am, however, seeing value in farming, and I intend to extend the hectares under farming this year,” he noted.
The government is on record urging farmers to take farming as a business and increase production.
“Agriculture with a deliberate leaning towards traditional grains will extricate many out of poverty. Smart partnerships and smart agriculture will cause the attainment of a whole range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) either directly or indirectly. We want to create industries in rural areas. We want to promote the production, processing, and consumption of traditional grains,” Agritex Supervisor for the Runde area, Knowledge Mangwiro said.
The Second Republic is promoting the production of crops according to ecological regions, hence the rallying call for Natural Regions Four and Five to focus on traditional grains.
