Chronicle Editor
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
WHILE most of his neighbours in St Joseph’s, Kezi in Matabeleland South Province keep cattle as a store of wealth, Mr Reginald Ncube is exploring new ground, as he breeds goats exclusively for commercial purposes.
While other villagers are scrambling around, trying to make the most of what has been a dry rainy season in St Joseph’s, Mr Ncube, is unperturbed as he knows that his goats, which he sells to some retail outlets under his company Malilima, are well fed on the Bana grass that he is cultivating using a simple irrigation system.
In an interview with Sunday News, Mr Ncube revealed that after working in South Africa for 35 years as an accountant, he decided to retire, come home and concentrate on farming projects.
Instead of concentrating on subsistence farming, Mr Ncube, said he had decided to take a detour and try his hand at commercial endeavours. Although he initially concentrated on an orchard, Mr Ncube, said he abandoned it when he realised that there was no market for it in Kezi-Maphisa.
“I was working in South Africa and while I was there I was building and developing this place. I was working in South Africa for 35 years and I always told my children that when they finished school I would return home. I returned in 2010, at the time my intention was to return and focus my efforts on fruit production but in the end I decided to abandon the idea because of the problems that I was facing.
“For example, I thought a 1,8 metre high fence would be enough, but I still had a lot of thieves coming in here to steal fruits even in broad daylight. Initially, I was cultivating orange trees and I also faced a challenge in terms of the market. I had 80 trees and each of them gave me 800 oranges, but the trouble was that in Maphisa we could not sell off that amount of produce,” he said.
Mr Ncube, said he had decided to plant Bana grass on his land, which had proved fruitful, as it reduced the need for feed for the goats.
“I started breeding the goats while I waited for my company to be registered, so I could sell to retail outlets. When that happened that’s when I started selling off the goats. My place is eight hectares and I fenced if off with net wire so the goats don’t go out. Bana grass is very nutritious to goats and that is why I chose it.
“We have grasses like lucerne, elephant grass, napier grass and alfalfa but I think this is the best if you ask me. It has nutrients that are essential if you want to fatten your goat and it is also good for milk production. Even if you give a cow bana grass it will start producing double the milk that it usually does,” he said.
Mr Ncube, said he had decided to make Bana grass the backbone of the project after a Non-Governmental Organisation came to the area to teach villagers on its benefits. Not content with just feeding it to his goats, Mr Ncube now also sells Bana grass seedlings.
“There was an organisation that came here to run a course on Bana grass and they showed us its benefits and how it would reduce the need for feed. It was after that course that I decided that I would choose one thing to do and I would not waste my time on planting anything else. So, that’s how I settled on Bana grass and I have not looked back ever since, although it was hard to find its seeds. Now I also sell it as well. People from as far as Buhera call me asking for the seedlings,” he said.
With his project now in full gear, Mr Ncube said his next goal was to acquire a better irrigation system.
“At the moment I use a diesel pump to run our irrigation system, but I would like to convert to solar even though diesel has been working for me so far. Of course, the problem with solar is that when you have no power from it there’s nothing you can do and that’s a problem that a lot of people have faced in the area. I would love to get a better irrigation system with sprinklers because the one I use now does not allow me to water my plants evenly,” he said.
Online Reporter