Due to COVID-19 the biggest Agricultural show on land, the Harare Agricultural Show failed to kick off, but this was different for Deli Village in Umguza ward 12 which on Wednesday hosted a successful Conservation Farming Agricultural Show. The event was launched by the Minister of State for Matabeleland North Honorable Richard Moyo (MP). Farmers of this ward were gathered at the host farmer’s rural home in Deli and were given fertilizers and maize seeds from Seedco, Agric Seeds and Pannar agricultural companies.
Hope for a Child in Christ (HOCIC) represented by Lean Season Assistance (LSA) field officers was one of the invited guests to the launch which focused on acquiring better yields despite the low rainfall patterns faced in Zimbabwe.
LSA officers attended the Conservation Farming Agricultural Show where the host farmers Mr and Mrs Mathe explained to everyone how they have managed to come up with a conservation agricultural farm. They further equipped people with knowledge and importance of doing conservation farming in rural areas and commended the brilliant work done by their grandson who put mulch all over the farm.
“Our farm has 3 sections and we are looking forward to grow sunflower, maize and sorghum in which a third will be for family consumption and the other two thirds for income generation,” said Mr Mathe.”
“My grandson has done great work because he has managed to gather mulch we use to prevent soil from drying much easily,” they added.
Conservation farming is a process in which minimal land disturbance is made and holes are dug for the process of seeding and the rest of the soil left in its natural state.
Zimbabwe is facing critical rain fall shortages that has over the years affected the agricultural sector as many people have failed to produce food for family consumption and for sale, being the reason for the launch of Umguza ward 12 Conservation Farming Agricultural show. El Nino effects have been predicted to stretch for 5 years with atleast 7 million people stated to be hungry by the end of 2020. Smallholder farmers who rely on rainfed agriculture are the most affected. El Niño is a complex weather pattern resulting from variations in ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific.
LSA field officer Heather Damba expressed appreciation on behalf of the HOCIC staff to be part of the Conservation Farming Agricultural Show. People were given knowledge on drought resistant crops and the procedures to consider when doing conversation farming. She said that she is determined to go an extra mile and teach others such a nice strategy of farming in these difficult times where Zimbabwe is experiencing low rainfall patterns.
“We are privileged to be part of the Conservation Farming Agricultural Show launch. We have learnt a lot about conservation farming and we are willing to go out there and teach others,” she said.
The show is slated to be an annual event that will promote agricultural activity in Umguza. It is indubitable that HOCIC benefited a lot from the Deli Conservation Farming Agricultural show since people now know that low rainfall patterns are not a hindrance to farming as one can make use of conservation farming. .
