Farmers in Zimbabwe turn to drought-tolerant grains as maize falters

Source: Farmers turn to drought-tolerant grains as maize falters -Newsday Zimbabwe “IN the past, if I planted 10 kilogrammes of maize seed, I would get at least two tonnes, but now we get 150kg from the same amount of seed. The rain is now erratic — it is getting less every year,” said Gilbert Butau, who farms on several hectares of land in Mudzi, a hot, dry district in northeastern Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has had to import maize, a staple food, for the past several years as the country struggles to produce enough to feed its population of 15 million people. Experts blame more frequent droughts and erratic rainfall, which has led to poor harvests and chronic food insecurity. Over the past decade, the government has tried to wean Zimbabweans off maize in arid parts of the country, encouraging them instead to grow traditional small grains like sorghum and millet, which are more drought-resistant. But making the switch has not been easy. Producing small grains is more labour-intensive, ...