Indigenous Crop Production for Sustainable Livelihoods: a Case of uninga in the Rural Areas of South-Eastern Zimbabwe

Abstract

Southeastern parts of Zimbabwe lie in drought-stricken agricultural region five, characterised by low and erratic rainfall patterns. To realise food security people in the region have resorted to growing drought resistant crops such as sorghum. The recent observations are that the success of sorghum as a drought resistant crop is accompanied by ambivalence as some people view the crop to be unsuitable as a staple food while others rely on it to cope with food insecurity. Some families have resorted to farming cash crops such as cotton and use the dividends to buy maize meal as the staple food. However, recently some farmers have started intensive production of uninga, an indigenous crop which had almost become extinct among the Ndau people (an ethnic grouping of Ndau-speaking) of southeastern Zimbabwe. The production of this crop is under-researched and understudied in Zimbabwe. To fill this lacuna, we adopted a participatory case study research approach to explore the nature and scope of uninga production. An Afrocentric-postcolonial lens was employed to investigate the factors for its resurgence after decades of absence in the agricultural crop basket. We found that the crop which used to be largely cultivated by women in the past, had become a 'must-plant' crop for all gender owing to its high demand on the market, especially in Mozambique.

Gendered small-scale crops and power dynamics: A case of uninga (sesame) production amongst the Ndau of south-eastern Zimbabwe

“…Researchers often approach male participants that they deem to be better sources of data than women (Moore 1988). Secondly, traditionally, amongst the Ndau, uninga is a feminised crop as compared with other crops (Muyambo & Shava 2020).…”

“…The main crop was usually maize, millet, sorghum or beans. The planting was carried out by women during weeding usually in the month of Mushekwa, Ndau name for February (Muyambo & Shava 2020). The rains would have subsided significantly as compared with November, December and January.…”

“…Women mix the small uninga seeds with soil before broadcasting, to ensure an even spacing of the crop. The seed is then covered with light soil by using a tree branch drawn either by animals or humans to ensure a maximum germination rate (Muyambo & Shava 2020). The crop was said to germinate between five and seven days.…”

“…Respondents also averred that the harvesting stage is the most critical stage where the quality of the yield is either consolidated or lost. They recount that labour shortages at this stage may delay harvesting and stacking, resulting in compromised quality (Muyambo & Shava 2020). Women and their children make the main part of the labour pool.…”

“…The elderly women derived great pride and joy in preparing the dish. Respondents also shared that undu also served as an indigenous baby-weaning formula, underlining its nutritional and spiritual value (Muyambo & Shava 2020).…”