Zimpapers Logo

Locadia Mavhudzi Midlands Correspondent
Farmers in the Midlands Province have adopted bio fortified seed varieties in order to improve household food and nutrition  security.

Speaking on the sidelines of a food fortification workshop in Gweru recently, Harvest Plus demand creation officer Ms Sakhile Kudita said fortified maize and bean seeds are high in iron and zinc, which are essential to prevent malnutrition in children.

Biological fortification, which is commonly referred to as biofortification, is defined as the process of increasing staple crops’ nutritional value by improving breeding techniques.

She said the promotion of bio fortified seeds is currently ongoing across the province through the Livelihood Food and Nutrition Support (LFSP) programme in partnership with the Ministry of  Agriculture.

“Through the LFSP programme, we are working with farmers and extension officers in Shurugwi, Kwekwe, Gokwe North and Gokwe South districts.

“They are growing the high nutrition maize, beans and sweet potatoes.

“The areas were selected based on poverty levels, food insecurity, the prevalence of stunting and the potential for market development,” Ms Kudita said.

The biofortified maize seed, which is orange in colour and high in Vitamin A, was released in October 2015. The bean variety of biofortified seed, known as NUA45, was introduced during the previous season.

The biofortified bean variety was first released by the department of research and specialist services in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development in October                                                                            2010.

Since 2000, Zimbabwe has experienced a long economic and social crisis which has left about one-third of the rural population vulnerable to food insecurity.

Zimbabwe joins a growing list of countries in Africa that have adopted biofortified crops and released them to farmers, including Zambia, Rwanda, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria.

More than three million households in these and other countries on the continent are growing and consuming the nutritious crops.