By: Hwande Isheunesu
Farmers in Rushinga District, Zimbabwe, are experiencing the benefits of crop diversification, harvesting crops like sorghum, cowpeas, millet, and groundnuts despite a devastating dry spell. This approach has proven crucial in mitigating climate-related risks, as highlighted by a local farmer whose maize crop was scorched during the mid-season dry spell but is still expecting a decent harvest from his late-planted sorghum. The community attributes their success to collaborative efforts between farmers, agricultural business advisory officers, and NGOs, providing technical know-how to cope with climate challenges.
On a positive note, Sesame Africa has promised to revitalize the market for sesame through their program named Integrated Rural Resilience Building (IRRB). Through AMA, all sesame buyers in Zimbabwe are allowed to come and buy this season. “All we need is to come up with aggregation centers where buyers will operate for convenience,” said a representative from Agricultural Sustainable Technologies (SAT). Relatedly, Green Culture is among the buyers eyeing legumes, bringing hope to farmers who have been exploited through the black market for so long.
However, some farmers are facing challenges due to pre-harvest germination caused by late rains, impacting yields in the marginal rainfall areas. For crops like groundnuts, farmers are urged to engage agricultural business advisory officers for construction of proper A-frames that allow for good air circulation and water drainage to protect their harvest from rotting.
