limukani
Simba Jemwa
Sunday News Correspondent
After spending years in business, Challenge Phiri and his wife Ropafadzai decided to lease 1 000 hectares of land from Government and here they practice animal husbandry with a leaning towards cattle rearing.
The couple is operating on land leased in Binga from the Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe under its leased grazing scheme. In 10 years, they have targeted a growth pattern that will see their herd grow to the four-digits and becoming one of the largest suppliers of beef in Matabeleland North.
To make their new business sustainable and enable them to get a buy in from the local community, they use their limited resources to benefit others through an internship programme within their local community.
Phiri’s Mzolo Forestry Conservancy Ranch is nestled in the lush Mzolo Forest which has 67000 hectares and is surrounded by Lubimbi, Dongamuzi, Siambola and Dungu. The couple was fortunate to get a lease on land that was previously used by the Cold Storage Company (CSC) used kept thousands animals in the Forest early 1990s and in 1992 drought, the Forest was used as a buffer zone.
Speaking to Sunday News from his ranch, Phiri said when they arrived on the land last year in January, they started off with 59 heifers (Brahman, Beefmaster and Crosses) and three bulls (Brahman, Beefmaster and Simmental).
“When we got our lease for 1 000 ha, we acquired 59 heifers and three bulls to get us going. In an effort to ensure top genetics within our herd, we bought most of the cattle were bought from Pilossof Ruvale Brahmans and Beefmasters who are well known cattle breeders,” Phiri said.
It has not been all easy for the couple as Phiri reveals: “Times have been tough, but we learnt to live in the moment and trust that when one door closes, another opens.”
Asked about their stellar growth over the past two years, Phiri said they made sure that they invested in the proper infrastructure to make their venture a success. Phiri said he and his wife have so far invested a substantial amount of capital in the venture and the finance has been used to acquire breeding stock, build feed lots as well as solar powered boreholes to provide water for their cattle.
“When we got here, we decided to make sure that all the necessary infrastructure that will enable us to have a fair crack at making this a success. We installed solar powered boreholes to a depth of 110 meters, built feed lots and bought more breeding stock. We also began to acquire other animal stock such as sheep and goats,” Mr. Phiri added.
The couple has made efforts to add value to everything they do on the farm and are also not scared to try out new ideas, but if something does not work, they move on quickly.
“We have a beef feedlot and a sheep feedlot, and many more schemes. But we decided early on that If the numbers don’t add up, close it instead of eventually having to shut down the whole operation,” he says.
Phiri believes that new technology and mechanisation can aid product quality. With new technology, the ranch can monitor all climatic data, soil moisture levels, irrigation data, and temperature readings from feed lots. He sees future potential in online sales, and is planning a platform for meat sales and door-to-door delivery.
“We can grow very fast, and this can be dangerous, as growth can force you to take on too much debt too quickly, which can kill your business. We believe in rather do less, but properly.”
However, Phiri revealed that they were working on getting funding to expand not just their herd but also the land they have under lease.
“While we are careful about growing too quickly, we are also cognisant of the need to grow as a business and with this in mind, we are actively seeking partners to help finance growing our herd and increasing the number of feed lots and other key infrastructural needs,” he says.
Presently, Mzolo Forestry Conservancy Ranch employs 10 fulltime staffers which include a qualified farm manager, two caretakers, a security guard and six herders. The ranch also has 30 part time staffers who come as and when work is available.
Phiri said their long-term vision is to empower their local community through education, improved genetics of their cattle as well as the gradual growth of their herd. Phiri said, the land they have available only allows them a maximum of 150 cattle unless they extend the lease size. The forest itself is 67 000ha with a capacity for thousands of cattle. -@simbajemwa
Online Reporter