Diagnostic study of the maize-based farming system in South and East Africa: pathways to sustainable intensification and diversification - a case study of Makonde, Masvingo and Murehwa districts in Zimbabwe

Simple item page
cg.contributor.affiliationHarare Institute of Technology, Harare, Zimbabween
cg.contributor.donorCGIAR Trust Funden
cg.contributor.initiativeDiversification in East and Southern Africa
cg.coverage.countryZimbabwe
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2ZW
cg.coverage.regionSouthern Africa
cg.coverage.regionEastern Africa
cg.coverage.subregionMakonde
cg.coverage.subregionMasvingo
cg.coverage.subregionMurehwa
cg.identifier.iwmilibraryH053479
cg.placeColombo, Sri Lankaen
dc.contributor.authorMugiyo, H.en
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-31T12:15:15Zen
dc.date.available2025-01-31T12:15:15Zen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/172651
dc.titleDiagnostic study of the maize-based farming system in South and East Africa: pathways to sustainable intensification and diversification - a case study of Makonde, Masvingo and Murehwa districts in Zimbabween
dcterms.abstractZimbabwean rainfed agriculture is vulnerable to climate change and rainfall variability shocks. Zimbabwe is vulnerable to supply disruptions and food shortages due to its heavy reliance on rainfed maize cultivation and its growing focus on maize, groundnuts, and horticulture. Zimbabwe's irrigation and rainfed maize production demonstrate the importance of irrigation infrastructure. Small-scale agriculture is the main occupation in Makonde, Masvingo, and Murehwa, Zimbabwe. An ideal smallholder farmer development policy should consider small-scale farming's socio-economic conditions and focus on efficiency, productivity, and transformation. Growing crops on marginal land with little rainfall requires irrigation technology. Nevertheless, comprehensive technologies must prioritise sustainability. Therefore, irrigated agriculture needs particular interventions. This study tested rainfed and irrigation systems for maize cultivation for longevity. It also identified intervention areas based on farmers' priorities, opportunities, and preferences. The study focused on Masvingo district, Murehwa, and Makonde in Mashonaland East and West to collect accurate agricultural production and intervention data. A comprehensive survey collected data on all irrigation projects in the three districts. Stratified random sampling included all small-scale farmers in selected districts. Focus group discussions (FGDs) with district farmers and key informants were structured. A group of knowledgeable farmers participated in focus group discussions. In all, 169 farmers from three districts were interviewed. Most farmers surveyed were from Masvingo (60), followed by Murehwa (58) and Makonde (51). Results showed mean land ownership size differences between the three districts. Murehwa and Masvingo have a maximum land ownership of 10 hectares (ha), while the minimum is 0.5 ha. Groundwater irrigation is done by 31% of farmers in the three districts using motor pumps. Manual pumps are used 10% in all three districts like other water-lifting methods. Farmers are adopting solar pumps as they switch to renewable energy due to electricity shortages. All three districts' farmers used sprinkler irrigation to apply water, with an average adoption rate of 39%. Many farmers interviewed were unhappy with water productivity for various reasons. These factors include high irrigation system costs, low crop prices, pump and transformer failures, and better irrigation equipment. Enhancing service maintenance and provision is a crucial productivity intervention. All districts' farmers use crop rotation and intercropping to adapt to climate change. AU-IDAWM pathways 1 and 2 must be implemented in the three districts for sustainable agricultural water management. Pathway 1 improves rain-fed farming water control and watershed management, while pathway 2 develops farmer-led irrigation systems. Zimbabwe's irrigation and rainfed maize production demonstrate the importance of irrigation infrastructure. Makonde, Masvingo, and Murehwa, Zimbabwe, rely on smallscale agriculture for subsistence. An ideal rural development policy should match small-scale farming's socio-economic conditions to boost efficiency, productivity, and transformation. Effective input supply systems, technology, infrastructure, and produce markets can boost small-scale agriculture productivity. In Zimbabwe's irrigated drylands, irrigation outperforms rainfed crop production, nitrogen use, and water efficiency. The irrigated drylands of Makonde, Masvingo, and Murehwa should adopt climate-smart practices because they boost crop productivity and economic benefits. High-efficiency water use can also achieve sustainable agricultural intensification. Masvingo, Murehwa, and Makonde have partially operational water user associations. The Water Users Association's internal regulations were disliked by 70% of Makonde farmers, 69% of Masvingo farmers, and 69% of Murehwa farmers. These regulations seemed ineffective and unresponsive to their needs. Effective input supply systems, technological advances, infrastructure development, and efficient produce markets can boost Zimbabwean small-scale agriculture productivity. In Zimbabwe's irrigated drylands, irrigation outperforms rainfed crop production, soil nutrient use, and water efficiency. The irrigated drylands of Makonde, Masvingo, and Murehwa should adopt climate-smart practices because they boost crop productivity and economic benefits. Sustainable agricultural intensification requires efficient water use and management.en
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Access
dcterms.bibliographicCitationMugiyo, H. 2024. Diagnostic study of the maize-based farming system in South and East Africa: pathways to sustainable intensification and diversification - a case study of Makonde, Masvingo and Murehwa districts in Zimbabwe. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa. 35p.en
dcterms.extent35p.en
dcterms.issued2024-12-30
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.licenseCC-BY-NC-4.0
dcterms.publisherInternational Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africaen
dcterms.subjectsustainable intensificationen
dcterms.subjectdiversificationen
dcterms.subjectmaizeen
dcterms.subjectfarming systemsen
dcterms.subjectcase studiesen
dcterms.typeReport

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Diagnostic study of the maize-based farming system in South and East Africa...A case study of Makonde, Masvingo and Murehwa districts in Zimbabwe.pdf
Size:
820.35 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download full publication
Download

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.75 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

IWMI Reports
CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa