Eunice Madzora (58) is a smallholder farmer from Chimanimani district. She looks after five children. Her husband is not formally employed and the two depend on land to earn a living. Like many farmers in Zimbabwe, Eunice’s livelihood was threatened because she relied on external agricultural inputs produced by corporates.
Depending on agricultural inputs from corporates increased her production costs, reduced soil fertility and trapped her in a cycle of dependency. But all this changed when Eunice participated in various trainings offered by Towards Sustainable Use of Resources Organisation (TSURO) Trust, a community based non-profit and PELUM Zimbabwe member working with communities in Chimanimani district to apply agro-ecological practices for improved food security, nutrition and better livelihoods.
Eunice is reducing production costs through growing farm saved traditional and open pollinated varieties.
“I usually use open pollinated varieties (OPVs) which I save every year. I save my own seeds because I don’t have money to buy hybrids every season. I grow my seed using organic manure and they perform well unlike hybrids which require fertilisers,” says Eunice.
“I cannot afford to buy synthetic fertilisers which are very expensive. At the same time we have learnt that they are harmful to our bodies,” adds Eunice.
Eunice says growing diverse traditional and OPVs has enabled her to provide sufficient and nutritious foods to meet the dietary requirements for her family.
“In the face of climate change and nutrition insecurity, I have learnt to grow a variety of crops such as beans, maize, yams, sweet potatoes, groundnuts, rapoko, round nuts etc.,” says Eunice.
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