Agriculture Reporter

A STRONG backing by Government has resulted in the improvement of the production of small grains that had been on the decline in the past years.
Production of small grains such as sorghum, millet and rapoko had been on the decline due to difficulties farmers experienced in securing commercial buyers, low producer prices and losses caused by quelea birds.
This led stakeholders in the agriculture sector to formulate strategies to promote small grain production, primarily to enhance food security in dry areas as well as generate income for farmers.
Government is strongly backing the drive to grow small grains including indigenous varieties through extending support to farmers as they promote food security especially in drier regions.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president, Wonder Chabikwa said small grains production was improving.
“This season there was an increased uptake of small grains,” Chabikwa said.
“The rain season started late and the dry spell experienced over the past weeks in some areas did not affect the small grains hence yields are expected to improve.
“Small grains producers are doing particularly well and some have even adopted irrigation schemes to boost production.”
Government has been on a drive to resuscitate irrigation schemes across the country.
Chabikwa said farmers by now should have finished planting small grains.
“We were encouraging farmers to grow small grains till mid January,” he said. “Small grains do well in short seasons and this season started late and we do not anticipate it to go through to April or May.”
Chabikwa encouraged farmers to improve the quality of their produce to attract buyers.
“At the moment there is a market for everything and by far the biggest seller is groundnuts followed by soya beans, millet and sunflower,” he said.
“The problem that we have at the moment is that some farmers have been producing grains of varied quality which at times proves difficult to sell.
“In the past seasons the use of recycled seeds had a negative impact on yields and quality but this season small grain seed was readily available.”
A tonne of soya beans last marketing season was fetching between US$450 and US$500, sugar beans going for at least US$1 000 per tonne and groundnuts US$900 for the same amount.
Significant improvements are still needed in the production of small grains with priority being placed on the establishment of a post harvest market system.
However, the decline in hectarage for small grains will affect the sector’s ability to export to Asian markets.
Chabikwa said the sector was keen on exporting produce to Asia as there is growing demand for small grains in Asia.
“We had received a positive response from Asians who want to import our produce.
“We are hoping this season the anticipated improved yields will ensure we have sufficient supplies for the local and foreign market,” said Chabikwa.
Over the years production of small grain has declined owing to challenges that include low prices and lack of markets resulting in farmers preferring to produce cash crops such as tobacco and cotton.
Small grains include rapoko, millet, sorghum, beans, groundnuts, cowpeas and round-nuts.
Government has urged the country to preserve small grains and other indigenous crop varieties to enhance food security.
The Small Grains Producers’ Association in the past embarked on massive campaigns to consolidate the growing of the crops in all suitable regions to improve production levels.
Stakeholders in the sub-sector have said millet and sorghum should be promoted as the ideal food crops for those in the arid regions.
Arid regions that are favourable to grow small grains are those in Matabeleland and Masvingo provinces.
Over the years, these areas have produced low yields of maize and government has always bailed them out through the Grain Marketing Board strategic grain reserve.
Agriculture experts have said small grains should be grown as cash crops, and after marketing the crops, farmers could then use the money to buy maize and other crops they prefer.