By Rutendo Mapfumo
The government, through the Smallholder Agriculture Cluster Project (SACP), is educating rural communities on climate-smart farming as a crucial strategy for mitigating the effects of drought induced by El Niño in Binga District, Matabeleland North Province.
This initiative aligns with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development’s commitment to prioritising climate-resilient value chain infrastructure.
Dr. Godfrey Nehanda, the National Project Coordinator for SACP, emphasises that climate-smart farming is essential for ensuring food security in drought-affected areas like Binga.
“SACP has planned capacity-building training sessions focused on drought mitigation strategies at both household and community levels. We aim to mobilise communities to collectively access agricultural inputs and establish resilient market systems that can withstand shocks and stresses,” he explains.
To further combat the effects of drought, SACP has established Village Business Units (VBUs) around community multipurpose water points.
“We are collaborating with the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) to identify prolific boreholes across Matabeleland North, Midlands, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, and Mashonaland East. By implementing VBUs, we aim to provide potable water for drinking, improve food security, and enhance household incomes through horticultural production and strengthened livestock value chains,” Nehanda adds.
Efficient water management is crucial for survival amid ongoing droughts. In the 2023/24 cropping season, SACP established 36 crop and fodder demonstration plots across 18 project districts to showcase climate-smart agricultural practices.
Climate-smart agricultural practices such as keyhole gardening, utilised by 24-year-old farmer Exodus Munkuli from Sianzyundu village in Binga is an assurance of food security despite the El Nino induced drought.
“I have been using keyhole gardening as a climate-smart farming method, thanks to Basilwizi Trust. This technique has provided food for our table despite the drought. The raised beds retain more water, allowing my plants to thrive even under the scorching Binga sun,” Munkuli explains.
Keyhole gardening is a traditional yet innovative design tailored for arid environments, requiring significantly less water than conventional raised beds. Its structure allows for efficient water retention, making it ideal for drought-prone areas like Binga.
Daniel Sithole, an environmentalist from Green Shango Trust, highlights the need for farmers in arid regions to adopt smart farming practices. “Exodus Munkuli is doing a remarkable job in terms of food security. The government should prioritise and invest in such initiatives,” Sithole asserts.
“In areas with scarce water sources, farmers must adopt techniques such as greenhouse farming, drip irrigation, and hydrogel technology. Hydrogel absorbs and retains moisture around crops for over a month, gradually releasing it during dry periods,” he explains.
The government, through the SACP project, recognises the importance of climate-smart agricultural practices. It will soon roll out training in business development and financial literacy, along with group governance and gender action learning systems for 800 agricultural producer groups nationwide. SACP is also collaborating with the Meteorological Department to disseminate the 2024/25 seasonal forecast to agricultural producer groups in its operational districts, enabling farmers like Munkuli to make informed decisions for the upcoming season.
New Ziana
