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Anesu Kurebwaseka Mutare Bureau
CHIMANIMANI farmers have been urged to use open pollinated seeds to ensure food security in the district where some of the areas are prone to drought.

Speaking during the Chimanimbeu Seed Market Day held at Nyanyadzi Business Centre recently, Towards Sustainable Use of Resources Organisation (TSURO) information and communications officer, Mr Blessing Funani, said the Trust was trying to promote indigenous seeds for any crop ranging from maize, rapoko, sorghum, groundnuts, and soybeans among others.

“Hybrids and other chemical seeds will change with time, losing their quality. This means that if a crop was in Grade A at one point, it will lose its quality after being used over and over again, but OPVs are standardised and the quality will always be the same. Farmers will continue producing great grades in crops,” Mr Funani said. The Seed Market Day saw more than 100 farmers participating, showcasing their seeds.

Exchanges and trading in seeds were conducted using Chimanimbeu vouchers, as a way of making the process easy.

“The event is just a formal way of linking farmers from all over the district to enable them to exchange seeds and ideas as they learn about the agronomic process, create market linkages and help each other in viable home projects in their various wards,” said Mrs Roseline Mukonoweshuro, the programme officer for Sustainable Agriculture of Natural Resource Management Department for TSURO.

A supervisor with Agritex, Mr Gift Manzou, who was one of the judges in the farmer’s seed competition, said there was great improvement in the quality of seeds that were presented by the farmers on the Seed Market Day.