Location: Zimbabwe

Paul Mapfumo, member of the global conservation agriculture program and coordinator of SOFECSA—the Soil Fertility Consortium for Southern Africa—has been awarded a full professorship at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare as of March 2012, with the details of his continued relationship with CIMMYT to be worked out. Having opened its doors in 1952, the University is the oldest and largest university in Zimbabwe and has 10 faculties, including agriculture, as well as specialist research centers. “The SOFECSA work in CIMMYT—so much appreciated by communities and partners in Zimbabwe—was a major driver for this achievement,” said Mapfumo. “So thanks to CIMMYT and all our great partners.” SOFECSA is an inter-institutional and interdisciplinary consortium to undertake field- level adaptive research and development activities that enhance the impacts of integrated soil fertility management technologies on food security and farm incomes in Southern Africa and beyond.

On 14 November 2011 Thokozile Ndlela and Charles Mutimaamba of Zimbabwe’s Crop Breeding Institute received the DTMA Breeding Team Award for southern Africa. It was presented by Cosmos Magorokosho, CIMMYT Zimbabwe Maize Breeder, at a management meeting of the Department of Research and Specialist Services of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development of the Government of Zimbabwe, at their head office in Harare. The award consisted of USD 3000 and a silver tray that the winners will be able to display until it is reawarded next year.

“We truly appreciate this award, because it recognizes the efforts of all our team and shows our commitment to DTMA,” said Charles Mutimaamba. This is the third consecutive year that the Crop Breeding Institute has won the award in recognition of their outstanding achievements in maize breeding for drought tolerance. The team has consistently maintained a pedigree breeding program at Harare Research Station, using local and CIMMYT germplasm, and has been testing improved hybrids at two drought screening locations in southern Zimbabwe. The Crop Breeding Institute has also regularly submitted hybrids into the CIMMYT regional trials for widespread testing. Two drought tolerant hybrids, ZS263 and ZS265, were recently released and are in the process of seed scaleup with local seed companies.

On 09 April 2010, a team of four executives from BRAC International (formerly Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) visited CIMMYT-Kenya’s Nairobi office to discuss increased collaboration.

In 2009, BRAC-Tanzania collaborated with CIMMYT offices in Kenya and Zimbabwe on regional maize trials. Thirteen of these trials performed well and will be planted again this year in five locations in Tanzania to test some of the best CIMMYT hybrids. After testing these new hybrids for drought tolerance, BRAC plans to release and market hybrid seed of these varieties in Tanzania.

After winning a competitive grant from the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) Project through the Maize Working Group, the BRAC team requested stronger collaboration with CIMMYT – mainly through the sharing of maize germplasm and the training of their maize breeders and technicians. They will now work closely with CIMMYT maize breeder Dan Makumbi and, the Selian Agricultural Research Institute in Arusha, Tanzania, one of CIMMYT’s partners.

BRAC International, the largest non-governmental development organization in the world, is committed to fighting poverty through improvements in agriculture, health, education, and income. Founded in Bangladesh, BRAC’s work is mainly in Asia and Africa, with offices in 11 countries. In Africa, BRAC is working in Tanzania, Uganda, Southern Sudan, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.

“We are excited by this collaboration, and we appreciate CIMMYT-Kenya’s support to BRAC in Tanzania on maize research and seed production,” said Aminul Alam, executive director of BRAC International Programs. “As we expand to cover five more African countries, and to develop and promote suitable maize varieties, we look forward to continuing this collaboration.”

Attendees of the CIMMYT-BRAC meeting included Wilfred Mwangi, Global Maize Program associate director, Makumbi, Alam, and Imran Matin, BRAC deputy director. BRACTanzania was represented by Abdus Salam, senior production agriculture manager, and Mizanur Rahman, livestock senior manager.

Is it possible for a software to act as a one-stop shop and help manage maize breeding? Indeed it is, and CIMMYT’s Fieldbook provides both.

This was the proof of the pudding for 15 visiting scientists in Harare, Zimbabwe. During 15–19 June 2009, CIMMYT-Zimbabwe hosted scientists from Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe under the New Seed Initiative for Maize in Africa (NSIMA) / Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project. The visiting scientists learned to use Fieldbook, CIMMYT software designed for managing maize breeding programs. The software helps in handling field experiments, data, stocks, and pedigree  information. The participants practiced by analyzing their own data with the software.

Fieldbook is freely available. It is designed as a collection of macros in Visual Basic, and works with Microsoft Excel. Fieldbook gurus Cosmos Mogorokosho and Simbarashe Chisoro handled the introductory session. Peter Setimela, CIMMYT maize breeder, covered variety testing and release, showing participants how to summarize and prepare formats for variety release and registration. John MacRobert, CIMMYT maize seed systems specialist, coordinated an afternoon to explore various aspects of seed production. To familiarize themselves with the CIMMYT breeding program and other opportunities in the country, the scientists visited Mzarabani, a flood-prone rural area in northern  Zimbabwe.

At the end of the course, the participants felt their experience had been worthwhile, as expressed by P.G. Rupende from SeedCo, “I have used other software for managing breeding materials and analyses, but this is the best thing I have gone through. Fieldbook is a userfriendly program.” The proof of the pudding is truly in the eating—especially where one’s pudding is made of maize seed.

It was a short visit but by no means an unproductive one: from 18–22 May 2009, a Corporate Services team from CIMMYT-El Batán visited the center’s Nairobi and Harare regional offices. The team consisted of Luis De Anda, finance manager; Marisa de la O, human resources (HR) manager; Carlos López, information and communication technology (ICT) manager; and Scott Ferguson, deputy director general for Corporate Services.

“By having direct interactions with our CIMMYT colleagues in Africa, we have a better idea of the issues they face with respect to Corporate Services,” said López. “We also gained a greater understanding of their local circumstances and challenges.”

Working as a team, the group was able to address workplace issues in their corresponding areas, and each also met with their local counterparts. López expressed the need for better communication across CIMMYT offices and for more internet tools and systems. While in Harare he worked with staff to ameliorate the office’s internet access which is via satellite, and said he was grateful for the opportunity to see CIMMYT’s mission firsthand.

In Zimbabwe, the team visited the new dam that supplies water to CIMMYT’s Muzarabani station –the old dam was destroyed by flooding. Joseph Makamba, field supervisor, also showed them the station’s winter nursery, which had over seven hectares dedicated to nurseries and seed multiplication. Unfortunately, frequent power outages make nursery irrigation sporadic; during the visit Makamba had to travel 60 km to bring national power supply technicians to repair overhead power lines and restore electricity to the pumping station.

“I am impressed by the commitment, dedication, and ingenuity showed by the CIMMYT teams in Kenya and Zimbabwe,” said Ferguson, who also visited partner institutions with Mulugetta Mekuria, CIMMYT-Zimbabwe economist. While in Kenya, he urged staff to take the initiative and be creative in identifying solutions to problems and to share the solutions amongst themselves and with Corporate Services. “We will strive to streamline general administration and support services so that you can comfortably do what you do best,” he told staff.

De la O was especially touched by the temporary workers she met in Harare, many of whom are mothers that leave their families for months at a time to make ends meet. “I would like for all employees to have the same level of benefits, regardless of where they’re from or if they are temporary or permanent,” she said. “We want to offer a better level of support and work in a global sense.” De la O addressed some issues on the spot, and will followup with others after an analysis of all the regional offices and making a strategic HR plan.

“I feel a huge commitment to the people I met,” she said. “It was a very moving, emotional experience and I’m excited and enthusiastic about continuing my work with CIMMYT.” De Anda expressed similar feelings, saying, “This experience helped me to understand what CIMMYT is behind the finances and numbers. We all know poverty exists in the world, but it’s different when you really see it with your own eyes.”

The largest regional office outside of CIMMYT-HQ and in operation since 1985, the CIMMYT Regional Office for Southern Africa in Zimbabwe is central to implementing major regional and global projects. In the face of challenging political and economic circumstances, staff there have worked heroically and creatively to ensure that key breeding trials, on-farm research, socio-economic studies, and seed shipment activities are conducted to meet objectives with excellence.

This feeling of achievement was echoed at the 2008 end-of-year staff party on 12 December. The colorful party, joined by CIATTSBF staff, got off with a welcome and a “Thank you, CIMZIM!” address from Mulugetta Mekuria. Pat Wall got everyone involved in participatory games with exciting prizes. Long service awards were presented to Sign Phiri (20 years), Moses Chiputu (20 years), and Evelot Nyamutowa (10 years). The crowd thanked and congratulated the colleagues for their extended service, and staff received Christmas baskets.

The team also elected CIMMYT’s tallest and smallest staff while Martin Van Weerdenburg, Director for Corporate Services, was visiting the CIMMYT-Zimbabwe station. The party included staff from CIMMYT, CIAT and CIFOR and everybody enjoyed an excellent meal, great mood and a torrential rain – mostly above the leaking roof. In spite of the trying circumstances in Zimbabwe, the entire team proved their continued commitment and imagination to cope and succeed under the circumstances. Four NRS were recognized for their long years of service and dedication and received certificates.