Zimbabwe farmers embrace maggot farming amid drought

In Nyangambe, southeastern Zimbabwe, where persistent droughts have devastated corn crops, a surprising new farming practice is gaining traction: maggot farming.

“We were alarmed,” recalled Mari Choumumba, a local farmer, describing the community’s reaction when experts from the government and USAID first proposed raising maggots for animal feed and manure. “People were like, ‘What? These are flies, flies bring cholera.’”

A year later, Choumumba’s outlook has drastically changed. She now collects waste to feed her maggots, turning them into protein-rich chicken feed. “This is the sweet smell of food for the maggots, and for us, the farmers,” she said, standing by a pit teeming with larvae.

Maggot farming, centered on the black soldier fly, reduces chicken feed costs by up to 40%, helping small farmers like Choumumba overcome the skyrocketing price of commercial feed. “It is even better than the crude protein we get from soya,” said Robert Musundire, an agricultural scientist from Chinhoyi University of Technology.

Though initially met with resistance due to the “yuck factor,” the practice is spreading, with 50% of farmers in some areas now participating. Maggot farming not only provides a lifeline during drought but also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by recycling food waste, experts say.

Choumumba, one of 14 women in her village adopting the method, now sells chicken feed, eggs, and free-range chickens to local markets and restaurants. “I never imagined keeping and surviving on maggots,” she said, her venture now thriving despite skeptics.

From a symbol of disease to a source of hope, maggot farming is transforming lives and offering a sustainable path forward for drought-stricken communities.