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Zimbabwe

Enhanced food security and nutrition for smallholder women and men farmers affected by drought in Zimbabwe

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Objective:
To support drought-affected smallholder farmers with access to subsidised stockfeed and seeds and related training.

Key partners:
Ministry of Agriculture Mechanization and Irrigation Development’s extension services, AGRITEX and NGOs.

Beneficiaries reached:
4 343 drought-affected smallholder farmers.

Activities implemented:

  • Identified and sensitized project beneficiaries.

  • Conducted a project inception meeting to sensitize national stakeholders on the project and to kick-start field operations.

  • Procured a total of 1 400 tonnes of stockfeed, 20 tonnes of sorghum and 20 tonnes of cowpea seeds, which were distributed to 84 selling points across the four project districts; farmers could buy a 50-kg bag of stockfeed for USD 7 to USD 8, while cowpea seed sold at USD 1/2.5 kg and sorghum at USD 3/5 kg.

  • Conducted training of trainers workshops, benefiting 127 participants in all four districts. Reached 2 291 farmers with technical training (land preparation, fertilizer application, etc.).

  • Set up 77 crop demonstration plots across the four districts for farmers to learn good practices in cowpea and sorghum production, as well as livestock demonstration units to educate farmers on pen fattening and good livestock husbandry practices.