Sundaymail Editor
Theseus Shambare
AREAS around Mutoko in Mashonaland East province have long been famous for supplying fruit and vegetables to surrounding urban centres and Harare’s largest vegetable market — Mbare Musika.
But produce from individuals, and small-, medium- and large-scale farmers has been inconsistent in recent years, largely as a result of climate change and financial constraints.
Farmers plying their trade at the Dorowera Irrigation Scheme in Mutoko have not been spared from such problems, leading to dwindling yields.
The lack of financial management skills has affected some farmers at the irrigation scheme.
But this will be a thing of the past, after the Adam Molai Foundation and GetBucks Microfinance Bank Limited recently held a financial literacy seminar for the Dorowera community last week.
The seminar focused on the community’s financial well-being, with modules that included basic financial literacy skills, efficient budgeting techniques and knowledge of financial products and services.
Forty-four farmers participated in the seminar, which also gave them insights into effective debt management, and the importance of savings and investment.
The seminar is in line with Government’s drive towards promoting and rejuvenating agriculture through financial inclusion, via the public-private partnerships (PPPs) route.
Adam Molai Foundation executive director Ms Nomagugu Nyaundi said the seminar’s goal was to enhance and promote regenerative agriculture.
“Agriculture is the primary income source for many rural residents, but their limited financial knowledge hinders their ability to earn more.
“By providing this training, people are better informed about managing their finances,” she said.
“This initiative holds immense potential to uplift this agricultural community, promote entrepreneurship and spur development in Dorowera.”
GetBucks regional manager Mr Tirivanhu Blessing Gombiro said the initiative will go a long way in spurring development within the agricultural community at the Dorowera Irrigation Scheme.
“This training will help create opportunities for capital investment, enabling farmers to expand and modernise their agricultural practices or individuals to start running their enterprises as businesses.
“Through our partnership with the Adam Molai Foundation, the community will have access to microfinance products and services tailored to their specific needs,” he said.
Mr Gombiro said the programme also focused on imparting entrepreneurial skills such as market analysis, business planning and accessing credit to improve income generation and diversification within the agricultural community.
“With the financial literacy skills imparted to the community, their ability to better manage their income, save for the future and optimise their agricultural or entrepreneurial ventures will be significantly enhanced,” he said.
Speaking after the training, Mr Sydney Nyatsine, a farmer and the area’s councillor, expressed gratitude and extended appreciation for the initiative.
“Our gratitude goes to our partners here for the training of our members today.
“We will apply the advice, particularly about opening bank accounts, so that we will have access to loans to improve our businesses and our household incomes. It is, indeed, welcome news and this will certainly benefit our community as a whole,” Mr Nyatsine said.
Another participant, Mrs Grace Chipendu, said: “I am glad for having an opportunity to participate, and I got to understand the importance of record-keeping and tracking income and expenses.
“I have been taught that this is the only way I can ensure that the money I realise from my produce will be used to improve my farming activities and not wasted through unnecessary spending.”
Through Government’s partnership with the private sector, commercial banks support the agriculture sector through contract farming and joint ventures.
With a large chunk of small-scale farmers commanding 80 percent of Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector, it has become more crucial for the Government to inculcate financial management knowledge to farmers, so that they contribute to the country’s economic development.
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