The Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Zimbabwe has announced dates the upcoming 2023 National Seed Festival, an annual extravaganza set to honor and advance food and seed sovereignty in the country.
In a statement, PELUM Zimbabwe said the festival will take place amidst the lush surroundings of the Harare Botanical Gardens this Friday attracting a diverse array of stakeholders.
“The event is open for all who want to attend and will comprise of various traditional dances from different parts of Zimbabwe, mbira, drama, dialogue on seed and food issues as well as the sharing, exchange and trade of farmer managed seeds.
“On that same day, there will be a roadshow that will visit major bus terminuses in Harare including Mbare, Fourth Street, and Market Square bus terminuses, raising awareness on and promoting the consumption of traditional foods,” read the statement
The theme for this year’s festivities is “Celebrating the wonder of Zimbabwean Millets,” aligning with the global recognition of 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
“Our theme as the Zimbabwe Seed Sovereignty Programme (ZSSP) this year is “Celebrating the wonder of Zimbabwean Millets, “in particular we are promoting Barnyard Millet (locally known as Svoboda) which was popular in some parts of Masvingo province.
Theophilus Mudzindiko, programmes coordinator for PELUM and coordinator of the Zimbabwe Seed Sovereignty Programme (ZSSP), expressed his passion for this year’s event.
“Barnyard Millet, or Svoboda, is a classic example of the hidden treasures within our agricultural heritage. It’s a crop that holds immense potential, not only in terms of nutrition but also in bolstering our resilience against changing climatic conditions. We invite everyone to join us in celebrating the wonders of Zimbabwean Millets and championing the cause of seed sovereignty,” Muzindiko said
The 2023 National Seed Festival is an annual event celebrating traditional foods and this year focus will be on millets as the nation joins the rest of the world in celebrating 2023 as the international year of millets.
