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Fani Nyazvigo (left) a farmer in Mudzi shows his harvested millet to Agritex officer Godfrey Tore recently

Nyemudzai Kakore Features Correspondent
Sekuru Fanuel Chizuze (64) of Mudzi in Chikuto C Village, sits under a baobab tree gazing at the nearby field, sorrow written all over his face.

He looks like a man who has just received a death message. The old man sluggishly shakes his head as he walks to his maize field which is a total disaster.

He invested his savings and energy during the past agricultural season in the hope of getting a bumper harvest.

However, the heavens did not open up and his maize crop was a write-off.

“From the time the cock crows until the sun sets, I always ponder why the heavens have forsaken us. I don’t even know what the future holds for my grandchildren let alone my head of cattle,” he shrugs resignedly.

He curses the gods and his gaze wanders into the horizon, his eyes become watery as tears well up.

“The little rains which used to quench the thirst of our livestock and sustain our existence in the past have become unreliable. I wonder if it’s because of the anger of our ancestors or simply the seasons have changed.”

While Sekuru Chizuze blames the heavens for his misfortunes, the reality is that his crop failure is evidence of climate change.

Mudzi District, in Natural Region IV, has borne the brunt of the harsh economic conditions and changing weather patterns.

However, while Sekuru Chizuze and other villagers in the district are mourning the demise of their crops, others are celebrating unexpectedly high yields after diverting to small grains.

The Mbudzi family has been at the forefront in small grains production.

They have successfully implemented strategies and advice from Agritex officers to grow small grains that are suitable for the region.

The family hosted a field day to enlighten other villagers on the importance of growing small grains like sorghum, millet and rapoko.

On the day, the Mbudzi family fed attendees with food made of small grains ranging from popcorn, sadza from the various small grains.

Mr Thomas Mbudzi (61) said this was the first time he had tried small grains but the results were amazing.

He said through the training he received from Agritex and inputs from the World Food Programme his family’s food security is guaranteed.

“This is my first time to grow small grains and God has really blessed my family and since I moved from maize production to small grains I have enough food to feed my large family and a surplus to sell at the markets,” he said.

Mr Fani Nyazvigo (55) of Jeke Village, Goronga B in Mudzi said although growing small grains was labour intensive he was guaranteed of a produce.

“We have not received good rains since January but because of small grains I planted, we are expecting good yields.”

Headman Samuel Tangeshaiwa (75) of Mukoto C in Ward 9 said his subjects had resorted to small grains because they had no irrigation facilities.

He said the closest dam, Kudzwe Dam, was approximately 15km from their village.

“Irrigation farming is not possible because this area does not have a dam. Since I was a toddler, Mukwina River was pegged and supposed to be constructed around 1978 but up to now, nothing fruitful has begun,” he said.

A bucket of sorghum fetches $10 while middlemen sell the same for $35.

Headman Tangeshaiwa said there was a ray of hope for the villagers after the WFP promised to buy the grains from villagers.

The WFP spokesperson Mr Tomson Phiri said his organisation distributed inputs to lead farmers and the initiative was to capacitate farmers and agricultural extension workers.

The project, according to Mr Phiri, had been spread to seven rural districts in Zimbabwe through the trilateral South-South Cooperation between Zimbabwe, China and the WFP. He added that planting of small grains in these regions had removed reliance on food handouts.

The districts covered under the programme are Hwange, Zvishavane, Chiredzi, Gokwe North and Rushinga.

“To date, some 348 lead farmers have been trained and supported with inputs demo packs comprising seed, fertiliser and pesticides. Each lead farmer has been attached to at least 10 beneficiary farmers giving a total of 3 482 beneficiary farmers indirectly trained through farmer to farmer training,” Mr Phiri said.

He added that the programme aims at developing food self-sufficiency at household level.

“Whatever small grain surplus farmers in these districts produce, the WFP would buy from them as we work at boosting production of small grains,” he said.

Agritex principal extension specialist Mr Godfrey Tome called for an increase in small grain production in marginal and low rainfall areas of Zimbabwe especially Natural Regions IV and V.

Mr Tome said the use of 0,5 hectarage of small grains per farmer can assure all year round food security.

He added that it was advantageous for small-scale farmers to scale up the production of small grains.

Retained seed of small grains can be used without considerable loss to production, he explained.

“All lead farmers and their respective AEW’s were trained on the agronomy of small grains, principles of conservation agriculture, group dynamics, marketing and post-harvest handling and processing among others,” he said.

Mashonaland East provincial Agritex officer Mr Walter Mugabe said small grains would assist many families as 30 percent post-harvest of maize was lost in Mudzi district.

Our crop and livestock assessment in Mudzi revealed that if maize is the staple crop grown, they get an average of less than a tonne per hectare but if it is small grains they will get two to three tonnes per-hectare.

“The talk now is about food and nutrition security. The nutritional benefits of small grains are well known especially by our elderly folk,” he said.

Health experts have recommended small grains to maize for their nutritional value.

The $300 000 project has assisted 3 500 families in the production of small grains.

In the project, lead farmers start with demonstration plots, exchange visits and field days and farmers can see first-hand the advantages of using the improved varieties and technologies introduced.

The farmers also discuss and compare different crop management practices.

Zimbabwe brought small grains of sorghum and millet into the formal marketing system for the first time in 1985.

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