Farmers should grow the most suitable crop varieties for their agro-ecological and climatic conditions to ensure food security, a seed company official has said.
by Staff Reporter
Addressing journalists at a media luncheon, Seed Co managing director, Denias Zaranyika said adherence to agro-ecological zoning was beneficial not only in planning, but reducing vulnerabilities to uncertain weather patterns.
“The phenomenon of climate change is a reality that needs to be acknowledged and mitigated by all value-chain partners across sectors,” Zaranyika said.
The country’s food security situation has been a cause for concern. According to United Nations World Food Programme and other agencies, 1,5 million Zimbabweans are in need of food aid.
Once a major producer of maize, Zimbabwe has become a perennial importer of food following a slump in agricultural production.
Efforts to attain food security will require aligning food crops grown in the country to their most ideal zones.
“Maize is naturally a critical food crop, with significant impact on household food security and farmers in natural regions 1, 2a, 2b, 3 and some parts of 4 must prioritise growing this crop,” explained Zaranyika.
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He said Seed Co extension workers were on standby throughout the country to advise farmers on crops best suited to their farming environments.
Seed Co also donated two computers to the Zimbabwe Meteorological Services Department to enhance its work in weather forecasting. The Harare City Council, through its principal communications officer, Michael Chideme and waste management superintendent, Donald Sakupwanya, were handed over an additional 100 rubbish bins in addition to the 75 already donated to the local authority by the same company.
