By Dorcas Simango (24)
Synthetic chemicals in agriculture promise improved yields but in reality, they kill soils, lead to a decline in yields and impact on health.
My mother and I used to grow yams conventionally. We used Compound D fertiliser but some years later our yields deteriorated drastically. We used to get 25 buckets of yams but the quantity dropped to less than 10 buckets. We were helpless as all our attempts to improve the yield failed.
Relief came in 2020 when I got an opportunity to work with organisations promoting Agroecology such as Chikukwa Ecological Land Use Community Trust (CELUCT), Towards Sustainable Use of Resources Organisation (TSURO) Trust and Participatory Organic Research Extension and Training (PORET) Trust. I participated in a number of workshops organised by these organisations.
These workshops opened my mind as I got to learn about agroecology and its benefits as well as the disadvantages of the conventional farming. I finally understood why our yields had dropped.
I decided to apply agroecology principles on our farm. I dug holes, added organic compost, planted seeds and mulched. This new method of growing yams resulted in significant changes in yields. At first, we harvested 45 buckets of yams. Last year using the same agroecology principles, we yielded 60 buckets.
We supplied the yams to the local market at Jopa and to markets in Mutare. The price for each bucket ranged from US$8 to US$10. We have been so successful that other farmers in our community are coming to learn from us.
My mother and I are planning to expand our agroecology practices to livestock rearing so that we get organic manure easily. We are planning to rear more cattle, goats and indigenous chickens. We have learned that agroecology is very important as it saves money and one will be able to eat healthy food.