The water woes in Dewe situated in Mashonaland East are so dire that sometimes there have been incidents of physical fights over the precious liquid.
Responding to this situation, the Organic Farming Academy, which is producing biochar in Rushinga and two other locations, had to roll out communal composts in May.
According to Islum Marimazhira, who works with small-scale farmers contracted by Organic Africa,the only way to address the water crisis was to move the compost making close to existing water reservoirs like a nearby dam.
“The area is arid and water scarcity is a perennial woe. After deliberating on how best we could initiate the process of compost making with biochar we then developed the idea of communal composts.
The OFA biochar consultant, Tafadzwa Nyamande, explained that the biochar must be mixed with compost or liquid organic fertiliser in a matrix of at least 1 to 1 before it is applied to the soil which serves as a so-called carbon sink.
In addition to storing carbon, this carbon-rich product offers a wide array of other benefits. When applied to soil, biochar behaves as an amendment able to increase the availability of water and nutrients while balancing soil composition. This breeds healthy soil, which increases plant growth/crop yields whilst reducing the need for excess fertilizers and irrigation. Biochar has thus been used in a number of diverse agricultural applications over several centuries across the world, notably in the context of organic or regenerative farming.
The biochar is donated for free to farmers in Dewe who we train in compost making with biochar,” explained Mr Nyamande.
OFA’s senior training consultant, Doreen Ngwenyama, said there are plans to roll out more communal composts with biochar around the sites of biochar production to support local producers and foster unity in the communities.