Andrew
Leoper Nyatando
MUTOKO has suddenly roared to life.
This is a place many people previously thought had little or nothing to support various economic activities.
This has, however, changed.
All roads now lead to Mutoko, a place some prefer calling “Tokyo”.
The place is now a hive of activity.
Mother Nature generously endowed the district with various minerals, as well as good climate conditions that support agricultural activities.
Horticulture
One cannot talk about Mutoko without making reference to mapuno (tomatoes). At a commercial level, tomatoes are in abundance. Almost every household produces them, and they have proven to be the lifeline for many small-scale farmers. Mbare Musika gets most of its tomatoes from this district.
However, some of the tomatoes find their way to faraway places, including Bulawayo, where there is a lucrative market.
The market for tomatoes will always be available, and this explains why Mutoko-based farmers will keep tilling their small plots and produce the cash crop.
At Tabudirira Vocational Training Centre, about 20 kilometres from Mutoko Centre on the Harare highway, a processing plant will soon be opened for value addition.
The plant is expected to help local farmers save on transport and accommodation costs, as they will no longer be travelling to markets outside the district.
Some farmers are also selling their produce on foreign markets, an arrangement that is bringing in the much-needed foreign currency.
Animal husbandry
Cattle and goat rearing is a viable venture in this area.
The livestock in the area is among the best in the country. However, small-scale farmers need to be capitalised to enable them to boost their livestock.
There is need for borehole drilling given the dryness of the area.
Minerals
In its belly, Mutoko has huge deposits of gold. The area also has black granite.
Artisanal and large-scale mining activities are the order of the day in the district. The ever-expanding construction of residential and commercial properties in Mutoko shows how economically sound the economy of the area is, with the youth and women meaningfully occupied
Leoper Nyatando is a Form Three learner at Munashe Private High School in Mutoko
Online Reporter