SUNNY DAY UNVEILS MILLET'S POTENTIAL: A CLOSER LOOK AT ZAMBIA'S TRADITIONAL SEED AND FOOD FESTIVAL

 

On a sunny day of October 13, 2023, I roamed the grounds to catch a glimpse of the displays put forth by farmers at the 2023 Zambian Traditional Seed and Food Festival, which took place at Mundawanga in Chilanga District recently.

As a first-time attendee of the event, I moved from one stand to another, admiring the variety of local foods produced by Zambian farmers. As I was about to explore another stand, my attention was caught by a woman inquiring at one of the stands about the availability of Millet and Sorghum. She was eager to purchase these grains for consumption.

As a journalist who has been actively covering stories related to the escalating cost of mealie meal, and with my basic knowledge of how Millet and Sorghum can serve as substitutes for maize grain in mealie meal production, my journalistic instincts drove me to conduct further inquiries as I was eager to understand why she was so eager to procure these two crops.

Before delving into a formal conversation with her, I introduced myself by explaining that, "I am a journalist based in Lusaka, employed by a local radio station known as 5Fm-Radio." I expressed my interest in conversing with her after overhearing her inquiry at one of the stands about the availability of Millet and Sorghum. In response, Enelesi Kanfwa, who resides in Chilanga District, explained, "I intend to use Millet and Sorghum for making mealie meal because they are not only highly nutritious but also rich in fiber."

She went on to say, "primarily, it's my mother who is keen on having millet, as she has been consuming it regularly. We used to buy it from Soweto market. However, this time, she suggested that we should grow it ourselves since we have available land. She is planning to cultivate approximately one hectare of Sorghum."

When questioned about the necessity for the government to promote the cultivation of Millet and Sorghum among farmers, Enelesi responded, "absolutely, yes, Millet and Sorghum can serve as substitutes because they are more affordable and offer higher fiber and nutrient content compared to mealie meal."

I further conducted two separate interviews with two farmers, namely Catherine Phiri and Markson Siabwiztu, to gain their perspectives on the subject of Millet and Sorghum.

Catherine, a mother of eight children residing in Chipata, Eastern Province, affirmed that both millet and sorghum have served as sources of nutrition and income for her family.

She elaborated that, given the high cost of fertilizers on the local market and the effects of climate change, the cultivation of Millet and Sorghum has become a vital component of their agricultural strategy.

She emphasized that this approach has been instrumental in mitigating food shortages within her family.

"We must continue cultivating Millet and Sorghum to ensure a steady supply of nutrient-rich food. Additionally, these two crops do not require the use of fertilizers which has become expensive," she emphasized. "Millet is a money spinner ,I sell it at 5 Kwacha per kilogram, which has become a lifeline given the increasing challenges we face. I no longer need to rely on my neighbors for mealie meal. Furthermore, I use Millet to prepare Tobwa, Zambia's traditional beverage, which I provide to my children. I urge the government to assist in creating a market for us to sell our Millet and Sorghum, as we can cultivate these crops without the need for costly fertilizers."

And Markson who is based in Sinazeze in Sinazongwe district of Southern Province explained that he has been growing Sorghum because it is a drought-resistant crop.

He noted that Sorghum has several advantages which can be helpful to people with malnutrition and diseases such as Hypertension.

He made an earnest appeal to the government to provide farmers with machinery to enable them to expand their cultivation areas and enhance their production.

“We cannot stop growing Millet and Sorghum because even if our area is experiencing low rainfall pattern, these crops are not usually affected. The only thing we need is farming implements so that we can increase our hectarage. The lack of such machinery is limiting our potential as farmers,” he lamented.

Interestingly, the Indian High Commissioner, Ashok Kumar indicated during the festival in his remarks that agriculture is one of the sectors under discussion between his government and the Zambian government for bilateral cooperation.

He highlighted that India which is known for its diverse millet varieties, is partnering with the Zambian government and other institutions to foster the growth of the millet sector which he said aligns well with the vision of President Narendra Modi, who is enthusiastic about promoting millets on a global scale.

Mr Kumar revealed that “his country has offered support to promote Millet through Millet research institute which is called the Indian Institute of Millet Research based in India.”

In stating the position of the Zambia Alliance of Agro-Ecology and Biodiversity-ZAAB on the subject matter, Father Gabriel Mapulanga, a Catholic priest who serves as the organization's Director, stressed the need to promote the growing of these crops across the entire country in light of the severe impacts of climate change, which has recently disrupted the agricultural sector, threatening food security among citizens.

Father Mapulanga who is also Director for Caritas Zambia advocated for the government to formulate policies that encourage the cultivation of Millet and Sorghum, particularly in regions that are prone to drought.

“I would like to appeal to the government to actively promote these crops, especially that India, one of the largest millet producers, is eager to assist Zambia in improving the production of this crop. Millet and Sorghum have the potential to bolster our food security, emphasizing the urgency for the government to implement policies that facilitate and endorse the cultivation of these crops,” he said.

And the Participatory Ecological Land Use Management-PELUM-Zambia says through the Market and Seed Access pilot Project it is encouraging the growing of Millet, Sorghum and groundnut to contribute towards nutrition and food security among farmers.

“We have realized that maize alone can not provide the desired nutrition nor grow in extreme weather conditions but with Millet and Sorghum farmers can harvest something and ensure that their families are kept health while selling their surplus,” said PELUM Zambia Communications officer, Rebecca Botha. 

Meanwhile FIAN-Zambia Country Coordinator Vladimir Chilinya noted that the recent reduction in the production of maize which the country has experienced calls for change of mindset among citizens as he emphasized the need for the government to promote the production and consumption of Millet and Sorghum.

"There is need to be action-oriented when talking about the promotion of these crops,we need to begin walking the talk. The Food Reserve Agency -FRA must reform and begin to include the purchase of Millet and Sorghum on its list of crops. This he said, will encourage farmers across the country to go flat out in producing these crops. Equally, the Farmer Input Support Program packages must include these crops to further stimulate production."

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, both Millet and Sorghum are drought-resistant cereal grains with a historical track record of resilience in challenging environmental conditions, including droughts and high temperatures. Research further revealed that the two crops are frequently recognized as climate-resilient crops owing to their adaptability. 

In Zambia, millets have been widely cultivated as a traditional crop and 39, 095 metric tonnes of millet were produced in the 2021-2022 farming season. 

During a recent address at the Millet Food Festival, Agriculture Minister Ruben Mtolo highlighted that millet was rapidly gaining popularity among countries grappling with the effects of climate change, primarily due to its capacity to thrive in challenging environments.

The Times of Zambia, recently reported that Mr Mtolo said 2023 as an International Year of Millets therefore provides a unique opportunity for Zambia to scale up the level of production, to ensure efficient processing and consumption and also promote a better utilization of crop rotation.

However, the Minister expressed concern that the production levels of millet in the country are declining despite their potential to address food and national security.

 

Profile

The Author (Christopher Chisi) is a Zambian journalist and an active member of the Media Institute of Southern Africa(MISA) Zambia. He is currently employed by 5FM-Radio Zambia (89.9 FM), a prominent adult contemporary radio station in Zambia. With over five years of dedicated work experience in radio reporting, Christopher has earned numerous accolades, totaling at least 20 media awards.

Contact 09975-198870