eBusiness Weekly
Elita Chikwati
HARARE – Government has launched the National Agroforestry Programme aimed at boosting food security and maximising sustainable land use.
Agroforestry is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland.
The system combines shrubs or fruits trees in agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy ecologically sound and sustainable land use.
Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri said the National Agroforestry Programme had been designed to complement the Command Agriculture initiative.
This was after realising that agriculture was not just about farming but involved a number of activities to its value chain.
“Our thrust as a Ministry is to promote agroforestry which involves the incorporation of fruit trees into agricultural faming systems to boost food security and nutrition under the Zim-Asset economic planning framework. Most farmers grow fruit trees separately from agricultural crops and this programme through various strategies will communicate and demonstrate how intercropping is an advantage and a better option for the farmer,” she said.
Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said it was important to adopt agroforestry as it ensured maximum utilisation of small pieces of land to increase income.
“Agroforestry is one of those strategies where through intercropping, farmers minimise risk effectively utilise available resources and efficiently use available labour. The result is increased crop productivity which promotes food security.
“Tree crop intercropping reduces, insect populations and provides a good cover for soil. Soil temperature will stay relatively low. This prevents burning of the organic matter in the soil and hence loss of nutrients. This means that less money is spend by the farmer buying fertilisers.
To support national agroforestry programme, the country requires over five million tree seedlings that will be distributed nationwide to participating farmers.
She added that Agritex and the Forestry Commission will train tertiary students to bud and graft tree seedlings.
“Our universities will help us with the technology of fighting pests and disease outbreaks that may affect orchards.
“Our target as a nation is to grow more than 10 million of fruit trees under the nationwide programme and contribute to the economy though making savings on foreign currency which is currently being used to import fruit juices as evidenced by the huge presence of juices from South Africa and other countries sin out supermarkets as well as generating foreign currency by exporting excess fruits to China, Europe and America.
In Zimbabwe, we have already have players in the fruit processing industry who have assured us of a market for the produce,” she said.
Tree Eco representative Jos Danckwerts said agroforestry had the potential to transform lives and wellbeing of local communities and farmers in Zimbabwe.
“Agroforestry has so many benefits including increased crop yields, diversified and increased income, improved soil health, decreased soil erosion, decreased deforestation and defence against the effects of climate change.
“By combining Agriculture and Forestry together we have the opportunity to address key national objectives, being growing the economy, increasing food security and protecting our natural heritage,” he said.
