The feasibility of small grains as an adoptive strategy to climate change

Authorsvodziwa Mathew
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Authorsvodziwa Mathew: Bulawayo Polytechnic

Russian Journal of Agricultural and Socio-Economic Sciences, 2015, vol. 41, issue 5, 40-55

Abstract: The paper examines the feasibility of small grains as an adoptive strategy to climate change in Siansengwe, Binga District. Climate change and variability have resulted in a shift in the rainfall patterns in many parts of the world. Successive droughts in Zimbabwe compounded by other economic shocks in recent years have resulted in decreased maize productivity amongst the communal farmers most of whom reside in regions IV and V which are considered semi-arid. This has resulted in the prevalence of food insecurity particularly to these semi-arid regions as unreliable rainfall has undermined subsistence farming. The environment in Siansengwe, Binga is no longer conducive for maize production due to the unfavorable weather patterns. This has given rise to the need to find alternative food crops, which may be suitable for these areas. According to the research, significant changes have been experienced in the size, structure and composition of the five natural regions. This survey notes that priorities for developing the small grains food system must be derived from a sense of the structure of supply and demand for these grains. They must also reflect an understanding of how grain policies, infrastructure, and technology affect incentives for production and consumption. Strategies designed to improve the performance of the small grains food system should be defined in terms of specific changes in the various components of this enabling environment. The study that there is need to incorporate small grains in semi-arid areas. The study shows how small grains have been adopted in Siansengwe and the impact that small grains have on food security as they can enhance food accessibility, utilization, stability and availability. Small grains production can be the way forward in the provision of food security in drought prone areas like Siansengwe, Binga.

Keywords: FEASIBILITY; SMALL GRAINS; ADOPTIVE; CLIMATE CHANGE (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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