Gutu Community Food Security Under Threat Due to Uncertain Weather Conditions

 Farmers gathered in Ward 12 at their main demo plot in Mudyiwa Village expressed their despair while waiting for rain. They hope their seeds will sprout and yield a bountiful harvest. “We cannot imagine the efforts of Tsungai Project going to waste,” said Shadreck Chaku (53), a benefiting farmer.

In Mapako Village, also in Ward 12, farmers applauded Tsungai’s Project efforts, “for some of us, it’s been years without proper seeds, struggling to do menial work just to get a cup of seed. This season, we were excited to receive a new batch of varieties that promised to yield plentiful crops,” they shared.

“This farming season has been different. Tsungai Project provided us with a variety of four crops which are groundnuts, cowpeas, millet, and sorghum. Although some crops are struggling, we might harvest enough to secure food at home. Unfortunately, some seeds did not germinate as expected due to adverse weather.”

Even with setbacks in rain patterns, farmers’ spirits remain high. They have learned valuable lessons in resilience and adaptability. Loveness Mudavanhu from Ward 12 fetches water from a borehole 1.5 km away from her homestead to irrigate her millet and cowpeas, hoping for even a meager harvest.

In discussions with one of the farmers, Eustina Mukonaweshuro (28) from Ward 15, Mumangi Village, on how to adapt to the insistent drought, she suggests exploring income generating activities like, broiler keeping, home gardens and peanut butter production to secure sustainable income and food security for the households in the face of inconsistent harvests.

Even with uncertainties regarding crop survival, farmers remain committed to weeding, self-watering field portions, determined to harvest despite challenging conditions. The Tsungai Project has strengthened community cooperation, with farmers collaborating to share resources, knowledge, and strategies for coping with drought. They are adopting adaptation strategies like staggered planting and intercropping to spread risk and improve yields.

Tsungai, which is a USAID-BHA funded Project is being implemented through Linkages for Economic Advancement for the Disadvantaged (LEAD) and GOAL, in Gutu District, Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe, aiming to enhance the food security of vulnerable households.