NKULUMANI MLAMBO
CHIVI-Traditional leaders in the arid district of Chivi have taken it upon themselves to lead in the growing of small grains and climate proof farming to fight hunger in the area.
The village heads and headmen are not only encouraging their subjects to grow crops like rapoko, millet, finger millet and short variety maize, but are actually leading from the front as witnessed in Musorogomo Village in ward 2.
“Climate change is real and this is evidenced by the dwindling maize yields that we are getting at the moment as compared to what we used to get in the 1950s through to the 1980s after Independence.
“It is as if the Independence brought a curse upon us as the yields have drastically gone down and we are left with no option, but to grow rapoko and finger millet which are drought tolerant.
“We used to look down upon people growing finger millet and labelled them lazy as they would want to brew beer with the crop, but now we are the same.
“Everyone even Christians who never used to touch the small grains as they were associated with beer drinkers are now at the forefront of growing the crops.
“The small grains were also popular for feeding chickens, but that is no longer the case as humans are now at the forefront of eating them due to their nutritious values,” said Headman Madamombe in an interview with The Midweek Watch.
Musorogomo said they have perfected the growing of small grains with the help of AGRITEX officers in the area, who initially faced resistance from the villagers as they were not used to the practice.
Most villagers in Chivi would go hungry than to grow small grains, but all that has changed as climate change ravage the arid district.

The exodus of villagers to greener pastures has left the area with so much land for agriculture lying fallow.
With right support and equipment the fallow land can be turned into green belts especially if boreholes and small dams are drilled for irrigation purposes.
“We are now enjoying growing small grains and small gardens at river bends where we harvest water for irrigating our vegetables.
“This has gone a long way in fighting hunger and siltation as the small gardens which are green throughout the year help in preventing soil erosion which is a big problem in this area as it contributed to the filling up of two dams down stream with sand,” said Martin Muzira, Huruva Village head.
Muzira also said that in 1960s to late 1980s they never used to harvest water the way they are doing now and they used to grow maize and harvesting enough for consumption throughout the year as well as surplus for sele to GMB.
Senior AGRITEX officer, Andrew Mupariwa said they are happy the small holder farmers in Chivi have embraced climate proofing farming like Pfumvudza, small gardens, sinking of boreholes and irrigation as rain fed farming is no longer viable.
“In areas like Chivi or even the whole of Masvingo Province it is no longer wise to rely on rain fed farming because of the erratic rains that are received every year.
“We have been going around teaching small holder farmers better methods of farming and to switch to small grains since it no longer makes economic sense to continue with maize in the region.
“We introduced pfumvudza as it has mulch which keeps the soil dump, there is also mechanised pfumvudza where farmers use a two wheel tractor or ripper tine with one blade and is ox drawn, zero tillage or just leave the wheat straws in the field as they act as mulch and manure if one had a wheat crop in winter especially at irrigation schemes that are dotted around the district,” said Mupariwa.
He said the other incentive for growing small grains is that one can approach the GMB and exchange the crop with the staple maize for sadza.
Prominent small holder farmer in Musorogomo Village in ward 2, Julius Makusha bemoaned the low rainfalls for the reduced yields compared to what he used get, 30 to 50 years back.
“I used to grow all types of crops that I wanted including cotton here in Chivi, but that is no longer the case because of low rainfalls.
“I would plant with the first rains and do all the technical calculations, putting manure and fertilizers at the appropriate time, but not anymore, the little that we are harvesting is because of the experience acquired over the decades,” said Makusha.
Makusha attributed the low rainfall to climate change caused by poor farming methods like abandoning the contour system.
“One cannot claim to be a serious farmer without contour ridges, they are the backbone of farming as they help in keeping the fields dump and one can grow crops throughout the year.
“Unfortunately, most people have abandoned the practice hence we are experiencing serious climate change characterized by heavy siltation of dams and rivers, cattle are dying because all the dams and rivers have dried up,” he added.
Meanwhile the Great Zimbabwe University has established an Innovation Centre for Dryland Agriculture in Madyangove which is being built on 41 hectares of virgin land donated to the institution by Chief Chivi.
Construction started in March last year with funding from the State.
The centre is expected to help in the country’s fight against hunger in the face of recurrent droughts caused mainly by climate change.
The innovation centre will have research laboratories for crops and animal species suitable for drylands.
It will also go a long way in helping the Chivi and adjacent communities as some will be contracted to produce crop varieties that are suitable for dry areas.
This year the centre has already contracted over 100 farmers to grow small grains.
Villagers from ward 2 and ward 3 commented the GZU for the initiative as it would guarantee them food and employment.