By Nyasha Dube
Climate change has become a global challenge over the past years and has compromised livelihoods of many globally.
Zimbabwe has not been spared by climate shocks from heatwaves and prolonged dry spells to storms and massive floods.
All these unpredictable weather events have stood in the way of community sustainability and left most people vulnerable to food insecurity as the country depends on the agriculture sector for food and employment.
Small holder farmers in Zimbabwe are also bearing the brunt of the disruptive effects of climate change, and they are among the groups most vulnerable to predictable and unpredictable disasters.
According to statistics by International Fund for Agricultural Development, small holder farmers grow ⅓ of the world’s food but only receive 1.7% of global climate finance to be able to cope with climate crisis.
It is against this background that Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) has partnered with Turning Matebeleland Green (TMG) to capacitate small holder farmers from Gwanda, Lupane, Honde Valley and Shurugwi with climate resilience skills so that they are well equipped to deal with climate change and contribute actively towards Sustainable Development Goals.
The two organisations, working together with community based organizations and farmers recently held assessment visits to all the targeted areas, to see how best the farmers can be assisted to realize their full potential.
The farmers welcomed the sustainable project, but also lamented poor markets and lack of knowledge and skills in value addition.
Gertrude Musasa, a horticulture farmer from Honde Valley, Manicaland said they have adequate water in the province, although the effects of climate change are slowly catching up with them.
“We get water from Mutarazi falls but because of extremely high temperatures, the water cannot last us the entire farming season up to harvest time as such we are investing in borehole pumps so that we practice irrigation, ” said Musasa.
She added that there are poor markets as they always have excess produce which always ends up going to waste, as such appealed for capacitation with value addition skills.
Mr Chowa, a livestock farmer said his main challenge access to supply chains.
“If I could get a stable market where I can supply my products this would boost my agriculture business because as it is, stock feed is expensive yet we struggle to sell our produce and end up incurring losses,” he said.
Farming inputs suppliers, Farm and City Centre says most farmers are adapting to climate change, but still need more capacitation.
“We have been training farmers on the technicalities of farming in partnership with Agritex, and they now have basic knowledge on soil types, acidity and things like that. However, they are lagging behind in terms of establishing markets both physical and online hence the need for them to be taught digital marketing, ” said Herbert Kambaranda from Farm and City Centre.
Digital marketing is helpful to small holder farmers as they can reach out to multiple buyers and develop their agribusiness infrastructures especially in rural communities.
TMG value chain development specialist Munyaradzi Tshuma said small holder farmers have potential to be model farmers if they get adequate trainings.