More yield, less field

Published: Nov. 9, 2021, 3 a.m.

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This year Zimbabwe has had a bumper crop of the staple food, maize. It is only the second time in two decades that it has grown enough food for the whole population. Last year they barely had half of what was needed and 7.7 million people went hungry. Better rainfall is largely to thank, but a new farming technique, called Pfumvudza is also being celebrated as having a dramatic impact on the amount Zimbabwe\\u2019s smallholder farmers have produced, increasing their yields up to four times. Dr Matthew Mbanga is CEO of the organisation which designed Pfumvudza explains the \\u201cmore yield, less field\\u201d principle, which encourages farmers to more intensively cultivate a smaller area of land.

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