Hilbert Ushe (69) is a small-scale farmer from Gutu district in Masvingo province. Hilbert says he grew up with his grandmother in Gutu district and learned a lot from her about sustainable and resilient farming.
“When I was a little boy, I remember going to the field with my grandmother early in the morning to tend to our garden. I learnt a lot from being around her and being in the field with her. She grew traditional grains, practiced inter-cropping in order to reduce pest damage and soil erosion while increasing biodiversity and soil health. She used cow manure and constructed small dams and water harvesting pits in order to increase soil moisture while reducing erosion at the same time,” says Hilbert.
Hilbert says he practiced what his grandmother had taught him until shortly after independence when modern farming practices were introduced to his community. He started growing hybrid maize and using synthetic fertilizers because maize was less labor intensive and provided better [financial] returns than millets. The results were disastrous, “Persistent droughts and crop failures reduced our capacity to produce enough food to feed the family. Maize has not performed well in the area especially with the erratic rainfall, and my family has had to depend on handouts from communities and government and rationing of food,” he regrets.
Hilbert says he struggled to produce adequate food for his family for half a decade until he decided to go back to what his grandmother had taught him. He was encouraged to follow grandmother’s path by Chinyika Community Development Trust and local Agricultural Technical Extension officers that work with the organisation.
“When I changed from traditional grains to maize, I struggled to get a good yield and to feed my family until I remembered my grandmother and how she incorporated agroecology principles into her farming. I began to do the same and growing millets with the help of AGRITEX officers and Chinyika Community Development Trust, I managed to grow enough for my family and for selling too,” Hilbert says.
Dr. Paul Muchineripi (75), the Director of Chinyika Community Development Trust says his organization has been capacitating small-scale farmers with knowledge and skills on Agroecology and encouraging the growing of finger millet in Gutu.
“Chinyika Community Development Trust is capacitating farmers and AGRITEX officers with knowledge and skills to be more resilient to the harsh climatic conditions and actively revive their culture and tradition to work in harmony with nature,” says Dr Muchineripi.
Pedzerenei Tsemwa (45) an Agricultural Technical Extension Officer in Gutu district says millets are being overshadowed by hybrid maize.
“Traditional millet production is declining yet millets have been sustaining our livelihoods for generations. Now they are being replaced by crops such as hybrid maize that are more difficult to grow. As a result our families are dying from hunger. Millets are tolerant and resistant to diseases and pests and are more resilient to climate shocks than other cereals, as such farmers should embrace millets in order to sustain their families,” says Pedzerenei.
Ever since going back to the practices he learned from his grandmother and adopting other sustainable practices, Hilbert is now food secure.
“I take care of my family’s needs using income derived from growing and selling finger millet. Through farming and growing millets which are more resilient to the arid conditions I am finally proud to say I am food sovereign and food secure. I have managed to get bumper harvests through using grains that have sustained my forefathers for generations, my heritage has given my children and I a sustainable future,” says Hilbert.
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