Beverly Bizeki
As part of the initiatives by Zimbabwe of climate change and the need for nutritious foods with 2023 being celebrated as the International Year of Millets, women from drought stricken areas in region 5 (Chivi) have embraced traditional grains farming with innovations sprouting up in their communities.
Chivi district in the southern region of Masvingo is well known for receiving very little rains as compared to other regions as well as experiencing high temperatures while experts regarding the soil in the area as ‘exhausted’.
Speaking during a field tour at Farirai Madume’s homestead on April 5, 2023 in ward 12 in Chivi Central, Agricultural Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) Chief Director Professor Obert Jiri said it is important for farmers to understand the importance of growing traditional grains.
“There is little rainfall in this area, the soil is exhausted and there is climate change which is why we are choosing small grains. It’s important for farmers to understand that small grain crops are climate resilient and can adapt very well on exhausted soils which assures farmers of a yield,” said Prof Jiri.
Jiri also explained to farmers that the small grains are highly nutritious.
“If you look at the rusty colour of these grains, you can tell that they are naturally high fortified with Iron and Zinc which makes them preferable,” added Prof Jiri.
Women in the area have however already heed to the call and tapped into the new norm, that of traditional grains farming with notable innovations and an improvement on their livelihoods.
Mercury Moyo chairperson of Machingauta Farmer Field School in ward 12 said there was a decrease in the cases of gender based violence ever since the programme started.
“As women, we used to walk for long distances going as far as Bhuka to work for our families but things have changed ever since we started growing small grain crops as these crops are drought tolerant. This programme has brought about the reduction of violence in our homes,” said Moyo.
For farmers in the area, the small seeds have enabled them to put a variety on the table which has seen them coming up with new products such as the ‘premixed porridge’.
One of the farmers, said the porridge which is a mixture of a variety of grains including sorghum, round nuts, pumpkin leaves, and pumpkin seeds among others which offers great nutritional value.
“The premixed porridge project has benefitted us in that it requires little capital as most of the ingredients required are from our farm produce.
“This has brought about a positive change in our families as we can now afford to send our children to school, buy groceries and we can now support our husbands financially which has brought about our acceptance in families,” said the farmer.
The premixed porridge offers a well-balanced meal according to indigenous knowledge with great nutritional value to pregnant women and infants below the age of two.
The group of 16 produce 500g packets of the porridge which they sell for US$ 1 and are based at Macheka Village ward 12 Chivi Central.
“We have made and sold about a thousand packets of the premixed porridge but we are not able to supply it in shops as we are still awaiting approval from the Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ),” said the farmer.
Miriam Tavengwa another farmer said indigenous knowledge has it that pumpkin seeds as part of the small grains offers great health benefits to men’s health.
“Pumpkins have a great health benefit to women while the seeds too are beneficial to men’s reproductive health,” said Tavengwa.
