adminRoberta Katunga and Shepias Dube Farming Reporters
THE Agriculture and Rural Development Authority’s Antelope Estate in Maphisa has secured equipment worth more than $340 000 as it gears to put more than 600 hectares under maize during the summer cropping season. The estate is now a living example of the success of the Public-Private Partnership after Arda roped in a private company Trek Petroleum early this year.
Antelope Estate manager Mr Alec Chinyai said the equipment that include heavy machinery for bush and canal clearing and a 12-metre wide planter were now on site and ready to be used at the estate.
Mr Chinyai said additional land was being cleared from the 425 hectares of winter wheat to 600 hectares for the summer maize crop.
“Preparations for the summer crop are underway as we have started receiving basic supplies. At the moment the first batch of 30 tonnes of the 244 tonnes of compound D fertiliser has been delivered. Due to the fact that we will be extending the estate for the commercial maize crop, we have also received bush and canal clearing machines and three extra centre pivots for irrigation and a planter for planting the maize. A John Deere combine harvester was imported from South Africa and is now also on site.”
Mr Chinyai said the estate would employ additional people especially for bush clearing to pave way for planting.
Arda board chairman Mr Basil Nyabadza said the growth of Antelope Estate was part his organisation’s mandate to enhance food security in the drought prone area.
“Our vision is to see that food security in Mat South is enhanced and as such we have committed ourselves to put 600 hectares of maize at Antelope Estate this farming season.
“Related to this development is that we are opening an additional 600 hectares to plant in the summer at Arda Ingwizi Estate, bringing a total of 1 200 hectares under irrigation,” said Mr Nyabadza.
Ingwizi is located in nearby Mangwe district. Both estates have been closed for close to three years and their reopening is expected to contribute significantly to food security in Matabeleland South.
Mr Nyabadza said Antelope Estate has 500 hectares of wheat under irrigation and has created 200 job opportunities for youths and women in and around Maphisa Growth Point in Kezi district.
At least 95 percent of the wheat has matured and harvesting will start at the end of the month.
“The positive impact coming out of Arda Antelope is benefiting the Growth Point at Maphisa. At least 200 people, most of them youths and women, are gainfully employed because of the economic activity taking root at the estate,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Nyabadza said plans were afoot to value add agricultural products from two Arda estates in the province.
This will see the construction of milling facility at both estates in the near future.
derick.khumalo