Courage Dutiro
Chipinge Rural District Council (RDC) chairperson has urged women in the agriculture sector to work hard to improve food security in their communities.
Speaking during a Kushinga Gambadziya irrigation field day for bean farmers held on July 5, 2022 in Chipinge ward 18, Cllr Patience Mlambo implored women to contribute towards national food security.
“I am encouraging all women in the ward to work hard in the farming industry and build our nation,” said Mlambo.
She challenged women to encourage their children to also join the agricultural sector to overcome hunger.
“I am challenging women to work hard in the field and train children to also compliment them in nation-building,” she added.
Women constitute the majority population of Kushinga Gambadziya irrigation scheme.
As the world works towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among them, including SDG2, which aims to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030 women can be representatives of change in agriculture starting from community level.
Mlambo also said out of 52 members, Kushinga Gambadziya irrigation constitutes of 29 female and 23 male farmers.
With better access to information and training, women can transform agriculture and food production to be more resilient and sustainable in communities.
Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) 2021 Rural Livelihoods Assessment projected that the second quarter of 2021/22 season has 16percent of the households being food insecure.
Manicaland (401,977) and Masvingo (598,629) were projected by the ZimVAC report to have the highest populations of food insecure populations during the peak of hunger period.
Kushinga Gambadziya farmers were contracted by Seed Co to grow a bean variety called Ukulinga.
