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Leroy Dzenga Features Writer
Two brothers, Prosper and Prince Chikwara, 25 and 23 years respectively, saw an opening they could gainfully exploit.
Coming from Matabeleland South province where vegetables are scarce for the better part of the year, they saw an opportunity.
The Chikwara brothers did not sleep on their dream to become commercial farmers, but instead decided to utilise their father’s one-and-a-half hectares piece of land for horticulture.
Prince, spoke to The Herald on how they embarked on the journey that is showing promise since its inception.
“We started in November 2017 with a drive to be the most preferable vegetable producers. We are currently farming pepper, cabbages, onions and rape,” Chikwara said.
Their area of operation, which is 20 kilometres away from Bulawayo city centre along the Bulawayo-Gwanda road, falls within region four on the Zimbabwean agricultural map, which is characterised by low rainfall, the brothers have found a way around that natural obstacle.
Most of their production is under drip irrigation due to the low rainfall.
Chikwara believes there has to be inclusivity in future agricultural conversations and the Government has to pay attention to emerging farmers.
At the moment, they are servicing markets surrounding them, but they have their sights on exports.
“The Government should help us find links with reliable markets. We need access to land and equipment. And when they are drawing legislation for agriculture, young people have to be part of it so that when they are planning for 20 or 30 years to come (when the time comes) there will be someone left answerable for the decisions made today,” he said.
Since their start in November 2017, they say they have made around $4 500 after costs.
“Our returns were low in the beginning, but we have been increasing our production. The profit margin has been gradually rising. We hope that we will continue to grow,” he said.
“We need also to move to grain production, value addition as well as forestry,” said Chikwara.
He said they recently started a nursery where they are getting seedlings for field production, with the intention of reducing input costs. They also intend to establish another section where they will be selling seedlings to farmers in Matabeleland.
The fact that they have two permanent workers at the moment does not deter them from the vision they carry; to one day contribute to the country’s national food basket in a significant manner.
Their work so far is a serious show of intent.
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