Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
ON November 1 last year Mr Canesiyo and Mrs Sheila Mashamatate of Maheve Village, Ward 16 in Gokwe South District in the Midlands province planted maize under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme.
Using water from their borehole the family started irrigating the crop awaiting the onset of the rains.
The family managed to harvest 1,1 tonnes on the 0,6 hectare piece of land.
Mr and Mrs Mashamatate were crowned the best farmers under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa crop production in Gokwe South District last week.
They did exceptionally well on rapoko, maize and groundnuts.
They also have a good tobacco crop and are also into poultry.
The couple said they realised that they could reap more from Pfumvudza/Intwasa than the conventional way of cultivating crops which they were using in the past.
“In November we agreed to plant the maize before the onset of the rains. We had dug our holes and put mulch. When others were waiting for the rains, we decided to use our borehole to irrigate the crop.
“We were doing drip irrigation which does not require a lot of water,” said an excited Mr Mashamatate.
He said they benefited from Government inputs distributed under the Presidential Inputs Scheme.
“We worked hard on the small piece of land and we realised a good harvest. Anyone can do this type of farming,” said Mr Mashamatate.
Mrs Mashamatate said they have managed to increase their sources of income by diversification into poultry.
“We have managed to acquire agricultural assets like ploughs, carts, wheel barrow, harrow and knapsack sprayers. We also bought household furniture,” said Mrs Mashamatate.
She urged fellow farmers and villagers to take on farming as a business.
Online Reporter