The Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Agriculture at the University of Venda held a transformative Finger Millet Farmers’ Day on 16 April 2025, bringing together farmers, researchers, students, and government representatives for a day dedicated to knowledge-sharing, agricultural innovation, and sustainable farming.
Attendees of the workshop
The event was hosted at the University’s C1 Lecture Hall and Experimental Farm, under the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, and served as a platform to introduce farmers to new varieties of finger millet—a resilient, climate-smart crop with vast nutritional and economic potential.
Dr Odeshnee Naicker, Head of Department for Plant and Soil Sciences and Acting Deputy Dean of Teaching and Learning
Dr Odeshnee Naicker, Head of Department for Plant and Soil Sciences and Acting Depu-ty Dean of Teaching and Learning, opened the event with a heartfelt address to the attend-ees: “Farmers, you are the true stewards of our land. Your hard work nourishes our nation.” Dr Naicker emphasised the day’s focus on finger millet—a crop with exceptional potential for food security and climate resilience. She revealed that the university had identified new, promising varieties through ongoing research funded by the Water Research Commission (WRC) and announced that these would be distributed to farmers for the upcoming planting season. She added that the university would not only provide seeds but also ongoing tech-nical guidance, including a comprehensive finger millet handbook, site visits, and train-ing to ensure farmers receive full support throughout the season. Professor Eastonce Gwa-ta is spear-heading the project with a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from UNIVEN, North West University and the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Dr Shonisani Ramashia, Head of the Department for Food Science and Technology
Dr Shonisani Ramashia, Head of the Department for Food Science and Technology, delivered an in-depth presentation on the nutritional importance of finger millet (Eleusine coracana). Rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and dietary fiber, as well as vita-mins A and B1, B2, and B3, finger millet is gaining traction for its role in reducing chron-ic illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. “Finger millet thrives under harsh conditions and serves as a vital source of nourishment and economic livelihood in many African communities,” she noted. Dr. Ramashia also highlighted the crop’s grow-ing appeal in urban and international markets, especially in the development of val-ue-added products such as mageu, snacks, baby foods, and gluten-free baked goods.
Farmers were given an exclusive opportunity to visit the Experimental Farm, where they deepened their understanding of finger millet cultivation. During this pre-event tour, the farmers engaged in a fruitful discussion, asking key questions about best practices in finger millet production and observing techniques that could be replicated in their fields. The exchange of insights was both lively and in-formative, setting a strong tone of collaboration ahead of the main gathering.
Adonia Thwala, a Master’s student in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences (Crop Genetics unit), in a finger millet demonstration plot at the Experimental Farm, University of Venda
Ms Adonia Thwala Adonia shared insights from her investigation of biochemical character-istics and agronomic performance of 20 experimental varieties of finger millet. Six high-per-forming varieties were identified for distribution to farmers. “By next season, we hope to hear back from the farmers on which of these varieties thrive best in their fields,” she said.
Dorcus Maja, a PhD final year student from North-West University
Ms Dorcus Maja educated the farmers on the agronomic management of finger millet, cov-ering vital topics like planting times (mid-November to mid-December), weeding techniques, harvesting methods, threshing, and post-harvest storage. Her session was practical and in-teractive, helping farmers gain deeper clarity on every step of finger millet production.
Representing the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms. Khathutshelo Magalela
Ms Khathutshelo Agnes Magalela commended the ongoing partnership between the depart-ment and the university. She confirmed that the department had sponsored transport for the farmers to attend the event. “The knowledge being shared today is exactly the kind of techni-cal support we strive to bring to our farmers. The collaboration with the University of Venda is strong, and this will not be the last time our farmers benefit from such initiatives,” she affirmed.
Dr Jestinos Mzezewa from the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences
