BY HAZEL MARIMBIZA
SIHLE MOYO turns over a spade full of topsoil on her farm in Bubi district, Matabeleland North region of Zimbabwe.
The soil crumbles easily, revealing a permeable structure and an abundance of organic matter that facilitate root growth. About 10 years ago the soil on her land was very poor.
Back then, Moyo would plow the fi elds before each planting, burying the residues from the previous crop and readying the ground for the next one.
“I had been previously using that farming method in this region for decades. But the tillage was taking a toll on the land and the soil was eroding at an alarming rate,” said Moyo.
Convinced that there had to be a better way to work the land, in 2016, Moyo decided to experiment with an emerging method known as no-till farming.
“No till farming, also known as zero tillage or Intwasa, is a conservative technique for growing crops without disturbing the soil through tillage.
Instead of plowing and sowing a large area the method involves planting crops in small holes that trap rainwater. We also lay manure fertilizer in the holes before planting,” said Moyo.
“Adapting to this method has benefited me a lot because way back I could not realize any profits from my agricultural produce. Due to high temperatures my crops would shrivel before bearing anything but now they can endure for some time and now I am able to sustain my family,” added Moyo.
With climate change affecting Zimbabwe, the greatest intensity of impacts is experienced in the rural areas where the majority of small holder farmers are extremely vulnerable to climate hazards as a result of poverty and weak access to services and institutional resources.
In Matabeleland farmers face an array of shocks and stresses which provide a near constant challenge to successful farming and individual household and community resilience. The district falls in Natural Region V which is characterized by low and erratic rainfall (400mm600mm per year), poor soils and high temperatures.
With most of their crops being affected by unpredictable weather patterns Moyo is one of the several farmers who have adapted no-till farming, a popular conservation farming method in Matabeleland.
In order to get more knowledge on the conservation farming method, Moyo has also joined groups of farmers who are trained by the Self Help Development Fund (SHDF) organisation which seeks to perfect villagers’ no-till farming adaptation skills. SHDF communications officer, Vongai Matonhodze said farmers are formed into groups of ten and assisted with training and other essential resources.
“We have been specifically working in Matabeleland from 2018, and we have been training farmers on how to manage their land so that it can produce more. In total we have trained about 7500 rural farmers. The farmers grow vegetables, sugar beans, maize and wheat among other crops.
With this program our target is to train them on climate adaptation through conservation agriculture. We support them with machines related to the kinds of businesses that they are doing. “We also support them with equipment to set up gardens. So we put solar powered boreholes, irrigation schemes and water tanks and we expect them to manage themselves and do all year round farming,” said Matonhodze.
Matonhodze said she has seen great improvements in the farmers’ lives as a result of the no-till adaptation method. “Before we started the program their living standards were very low and they had very little income to take care of their families so I believe the training has increased their household incomes,” added Matonhodze.
A farmer who has also benefited from SHDF training said practicing no-till farming has transformed her life. “Since I have received training on no-till farming my life has changed. I now harvest a lot and I can sell my produce.
The money which I get after selling I use it to pay my children’s school fees. Now and again my children would be chased out of school due to fees arrears but now they can access education,” said Nomthandazo Nkomo.
“Also I never had a bank card, but now I’m happy to say that I own a bank card so basically I can swipe and buy groceries for my children,” she added. Another farmer, Monalisa Mkhwananzi said she no-longer depends on her husband for everything she needs.
“No-till farming has empowered me to also provide some household items in the home and that lessens the burden on my husband since we are living in a harsh economy,” said Mkhwananzi. Seeing other farmers reaping the rewards of working together other farmers are now eager to join.
“When we started these zero tillage projects other villagers did not understand the project but after being successful more community members are joining us,” said Nkomo. No till farming is a time tested climate change adaptation strategy that has been widely adopted and practiced by local communities with limited resources. —
This story was written and produced as part of a media skills development programme delivered by Thomson Reuters Foundation. The content is the sole responsibility of the author and the publisher