South farmers urged to diversify

FARMERS in Kazungula, Zimba and Livingstone districts have been encouraged to diversify from dependence on maize to growing sorghum and other drought resistant crops.

Tupilwe Suppliers Limited (TSL) proprietor, Adrian Siame said that if grown properly, Sorghum has the potential to change farmers’ lives and that of their families.

Mr Siame said since 2017, his organisation had been encouraging farmers in the three districts to start growing white sorghum which his organization was buying.

He was speaking when he paid a courtesy call on Chief Nyawa of the Toka speaking people at the weekend.

Mr Siame said that Tupilwe Suppliers Limited was intending to buy all the produce that was available in the three districts.

“Our concept is to encourage framers to grow the crop so that we buy it. We are into buying and selling of sorghum away from the usual maize business.

“When we looked around in the villages within the Chiefdom, we realised that not so much is being done in terms of growing sorghum...that is what prompted us to give out free seed he said.

He said his organisation was also willing to facilitate training among small-scale famers so that they could learn the best techniques of growing sorghum.

“In 2018, we engaged the farmers through training with the help of the Agriculture Coordinator for Nyawa Chiefdom to try and persuade our farmers to diversify into sorghum, sunflower and other crops away from maize.

I am happy today, our farmers are responding well,” Mr Siame said.

He added that in other countries in the region, sorghum had helped in terms of food security other than maize only.

And Nyawa chiefdom spokesperson, Steve Sihoka, appreciated the efforts Tupilwe Suppliers in the chiefdom in encouraging farmers to think of other crops other than maize only.

Mr Sihoka flanked by Chief Nyawa said, “For quite a long time, we have been dependant on one type of crop which is maize and because of that, we have gone hungry because that type of crop in some seasons could not do well.”

The traditional leader said that one of the reasons that demotivated farmers into growing sorghum or any other crop apart from maize was lack of market.