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Tawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi
Traditional leaders have challenged communities in the drought-stricken Lowveld to plant small grains to mitigate the effects of recurrent droughts that are increasingly spawning food shortages. The Lowveld is traditionally a low-rainfall receiving region, but farmers here have been accused of prioritising production of maize, which requires normal to above normal rains, compromising the region’s chances of becoming food secure.

Chief Tshovani (Mr Felix Mundau) said the changes in weather patterns have forced farmers to shift towards drought-tolerant crop varieties.

“We are taking every opportunity to tell farmers to prioritise the growing of small grains and early maturity maize varieties,” he said.

“The rains are no longer reliable as they were long back, the rains continue to be scarce every season.
“Sorghum, rapoko and millet are the way to go, this is the message which the media must convey on radio, television and in newspapers because farmers lack information relating to climate change.”

His counterpart Chief Gudo (Mr Karukai Mavivi) said there was need to shift towards irrigation to beat recurrent food woes caused by droughts.

“Our communities are growing, the population is growing, meaning we must be prepared to produce more food for the people,” he said. “This cannot happen when our reliance is on rain-fed farming, we must develop more irrigated pieces of land.”

Chief Gudo said there was need to come up with strategies to harness water for irrigation from perennially flowing rivers like Save and Mkwasine that pass through the Lowveld on their way to the Indian Ocean.