Smallholder farmers in Chiredzi District have expanded sorghum and pearl millet production to more than 60 hectares across two winter seasons through a partnership providing seeds, fertilizers and technical guidance. The collaboration helped the Nyangambe community produce 16 tonnes of certified foundation seed in 2024, with similar output expected this year. Farmers received packages containing 200 kilograms each of compound fertilizer and ammonium nitrate, plus 5 kilograms of grain seed to cultivate 1 hectare.
Average yields jumped from 0.6 tonnes per hectare for pearl millet and 0.7 tonnes for sorghum to 1.3 and 1.6 tonnes, respectively, after ICRISAT scientists began training local growers. The Seed Services Institute certified all production in accordance with government standards. Chiredzi receives less than 500 millimeters of rainfall per year, making drought-resistant traditional grains essential for food security in the region.
Average yields jumped from 0.6 tonnes per hectare for pearl millet and 0.7 tonnes for sorghum to 1.3 and 1.6 tonnes, respectively, after ICRISAT scientists began training local growers. The Seed Services Institute certified all production in accordance with government standards. Chiredzi receives less than 500 millimeters of rainfall per year, making drought-resistant traditional grains essential for food security in the region.
