Prisca Kuchicha (45) is a smallholder farmer from Shurugwi district working with PELUM Zimbabwe Member, Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre.
Prisca has rediscovered the importance of traditional crops after abandoning them for hybrid maize years ago.
“I used to grow traditional seeds but I stopped growing them thinking they didn’t matter,” says Prisca.
However, after learning about climate change and the resilience of traditional crops and other agroecological practices from Fambidzanai [Permaculture Centre] just before the onset of the 2019/2020 rainfall season, Prisca decided to start diversifying her crops from just maize and groundnuts to include traditional crops.
“We learnt about climate change and growing traditional crops which are resilient. Now in addition to maize I am also growing Sorghum and Finger millet,” says Prisca.
Prisca is also in the process of shifting her farming system to adopt other agroecological practices.
“I used to use synthetic fertilizer but now I am slowly letting go and shifting to organic fertilizer. I am using compost and cattle manure as well as liquid manure made from poultry droppings. I am also practicing intercropping and I dug infiltration pits in my field to harvest rain water,” says Prisca
Prisca says when she grew maize and groundnuts she only made just enough to provide food for her family and in other instances her family did not have enough to eat.
However, this season, having diversified she is expecting that she will have ample harvest to sell and earn an income.
“Before, I didn’t harvest enough. I just got enough to eat but didn’t have enough to sell. However, this season I will be able to sell because I will have enough to eat,” says Prisca.
Prisca says that all farmers should grow traditional crops in order to guarantee food security.
“If we all grow traditional crops we will get rid of hunger,” says Prisca.