The ManicaPost
Freedom Mutanda
THERE is need for collaboration by research and specialist services in the region in order to come up with localised solutions to climatic shocks that have resulted in acute food shortages in Africa.
This was said by the Director in the Department of Research and Specialist services, Dr Dumisani Kutywayo, at a small grains field day held at the Save Valley Experiment Station on Tuesday.
Dr Kutywayo said the collaboration between his unit, the Agriculture Technology Foundation and other regional research institutes has capacity to catapult the farming industry and African governments’ quest for food self sufficiency in the advent of climate change.
He urged the farmers to specialise in the production of small grains to avert avoidable disaster.
“Government wants a food secure nation and for that to happen, we need to plant crops that suit this area which is in Natural Region 5. My department deals with research to optimise food yields. Varieties of crops have to be adaptable to local conditions,” said Dr Kutywayo, adding that his department was collaborating with various stakeholders, a development which he said had been of mutual beneficial to farmers.
Mr Marco Mare, of Crop Breeding Institute, said sorghum and millet do well in dry areas.
He said as breeders, they were motivated to always bring the best variety on the market.
“If we produce varieties whose yields per hectare are very high, this significantly contributes to a food secure nation. The Crop Breeding Institute in Harare we experiment on the 13 crops grown in Zimbabwe, and my specialty is on sorghum and millet. The pearl millet and sorghum were planted here with replica climatic conditions. As you can see, many stakeholders came here to judge for themselves the best variety which will be finalised by a technical committee that will summarise the pros and cons of each variety prompting seed companies to produce adequate quantities for the varieties,” he explained.
Agriculture is a science that thrives with the sharing of knowledge.
When farmers’ uptake of knowledge is adequate, that will be translated to a better yield per hectare, which will result in a reduction in the nation’s import bill.
Mr Charles Mhazo, the head of Save Valley Research Unit, said: “The Clarion Call is for farmers in this natural region to take up the production of small grains seriously. This is the only way in which Zimbabwe can regain its once revered status as the breadbasket of Africa. To continue planting maize when it is abundantly clear that the crop does no thrive in the climatic conditions of this region would be folly. People are hesitant to embrace positive change, but those who are quick to heed informed agronomic advice will reap bountifully and joyfully.”
He reiterated that climate change now has an enormous bearing on crop yields hence the need to appreciate the role of research in agriculture.
“Each passing year has broken heat records and because of that, we need to continue to experiment on seed varieties to maximise production,” he said.
Mr Alfred Makuyana, a small-scale commercial farmer, said he had benefited from the field day and would try his hand on small grains.
