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Nesia Mhaka Herald Correspondent

Government has engaged universities to take part in the production of traditional grains, as a way of mitigating the effects of climate change on agricultural production, as well as improve national food security.

Traditional grains such as sorghum, pearl and finger millet, are believed to be critical not only to Zimbabwe’s nutritional and food security needs, but could be a solution to the problem of perennial droughts that negatively affect crop production.

Agriculture has proved to be extremely vulnerable to climate change as seen by the decline in food production over the past two decades.

High temperatures that are being experienced in most parts of the globe will eventually reduce yields of desirable crops, while encouraging weed and pest proliferation.

On Wednesday, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science, Innovation and Technology Development Professor Amon Murwira, Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrence Shiri and University of Zimbabwe vice chancellor Professor Paul Mapfumo, accompanied by other stakeholders in agriculture toured sorghum fields in Murazabani district.

They concurred that for the effective adoption of traditional crops, a number of initiatives should be carried out, especially in universities and colleges.

Prof Murwira said universities and colleges should study the production of traditional crops seriously, especially for those departments that cover agriculture.

“We need to review the curriculum for agricultural institutions to include legumes and pulses,” he said. “We need to build their capacity on the production of these traditional crops.

“Traditional grains are being promoted as crops better equipped to thrive under adverse weather conditions and more suitable for long-term storage.”

Prof Murwira said erratic weather patterns in recent years led to growing calls to promote traditional grains, which could adapt to arid conditions.

He said despite an aggressive campaign by the Government encouraging smallholder farmers to diversify or completely adopt traditional grains, which can cope under dry weather conditions, farmers still planted maize, which is not suitable to these conditions.

“We need to change our eating habits,” said Prof Murwira. “We have been spoiled by the introduction of maize. Our habits have shaped our choice of maize and we need to change this. Without changing agriculture strategies, we will not go anywhere.”

Speaking at the same event, Minister Shiri said food security and agricultural production were interconnected and the best way of tackling this was to focus on adaptation means and the correct crops to grow.

“Traditional grains like sorghum and millet provide the breakthrough in our country in this 21st century of climate change and drought,” he said.

“We have noted that traditional crops are better performers in drought-prone areas and are known to have better nutritional value than maize, which is viewed as an unsuitable crop in these dry regions.”

Minister Shiri described sorghum and millet as generally the most drought-tolerant cereal crops that require little input during growth.

He said agriculture played an important role in the development of the Zimbabwean economy through its impact on the overall economic growth, households’ income generation and food security.