Sundaymail Editor
Debra Matabvu
Netsai Silas (39) is one of the few female vegetable producers in Zimbabwe.
On her 9-hectare plot in Murehwa, north east of Harare, Netsai farms cabbages, tomatoes and onions, which she has delivered to Harare every day for the past 20 years.
This has supported her family and employees over the years.
And on holidays such as the recent Heroes Day and Defence Forces Day commemorations, vegetable farmers like Netsai almost always make a killing.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted Netsai’s life immensely. It is business unusual.
“We have had droughts in Zimbabwe but I have never seen anything like this,” she said.
“Even during the hyper-inflationary period of 2008, our businesses were not disrupted in this manner.
“We have been recording losses because of the Covid-19 induced lockdowns. It is business unusual for us.”
Mbare musika is the country’s largest green market in the country, where most farmers across the country sell their vegetable produce.
However, the market has not been operating at full capacity since last year due to the Covid-19 induced lockdowns.
Intercity travel is not allowed under the country’s level four lockdown which means some farmers cannot reach the vegetable market.
With business operating hours set between 8 am and 3.30 pm, farmers at mbare musika say it is not an adequate period for selling their produce.
“One of the biggest challenges is the business hours, which are not enough considering that at times we have to travel more than 30km,” Netsai added.
“And with the curfew hours which are 6.30pm to 6am everyday, at times it is very impossible to move from our farms to the market.”
Informal traders such as Netsai, had put their hope in the Covid-19 cash transfers being given to the informal sector.
To date over 300 000 informal sector traders have been receiving cash transfers from the Government to cushion them against the Covid-19 pandemic shocks.
However, Netsai is yet to receive her cash transfers.
To supplement her sales, Netsai is taking her produce to the customers in the residential suburbs.
“Unlike some of my colleagues I do not receive cash transfers from the Government so at times I take my produce to the residential areas and we have to increase our prices,” Netsai added.
“This has its own challenges We often clash with authorities enforcing the lockdown and this also has affected business but we have no choice since we need the money.”
It is not only the loss of customers that Netsai mourns but the produce as well.
Producers have also had to throw away produce such as tomatoes after they go bad.
She reckons thousands of dollars worth of produce have been lost over the past year alone.
She and other farmers are now putting their faith in the Covid-19 vaccination programme which the Government has initiated.
Already, Government has started inoculating the informal sector to ensure herd immunity
is reached in the shortest possible time.
“We have started receiving our Covid-19 vaccines, we are hopeful that the programme speeds up so that everything can go back to normal,” Netsai says.
Harare City Council health director, Dr prosper Chonzi also says hope has now been put in the vaccination programmes.
“There has been subdued activity at Mbare Musika since last year, but we are noticing that the number of farmers coming to the market are starting to increase,” he said.
“However the business operating times have not changed and I think this is where the frustration is coming from.
“However we are pinning our hopes on the vaccination exercise which is ongoing.”
As the pandemic continues to sweep across the globe, and with Zimbabwe still recording a significant number of new Covid-19 cases daily, Netsai knows it will be a while before things can go back to the way to the way they were.
Online Reporter