adminLuthando Mapepa
CHIPINGE’S agricultural status – which had dissolved into the horizon owing to plethora of challenges that have plagued the country’s farming sector over the past decade – is on the mend again as an increasing number of larger and smallholder farmers venture into the lucrative macadamia farming. Known as the ‘golden nut’ of Chipinge, macadamia has proved to be one of the exceedingly rewarding crops. This is evidenced by the high number of foreign firms descending on Chipinge in search of the golden nuts.
The nuts can be processed into 36 products or eaten as raw or roasted. The crop, also known as the Queensland or bauple nut, can is also used as an ingredient in the manufacture of cosmetics and cakes, while oil can also be extracted from it.
The nuts’ production all along had been a preserve of a few white commercial farmers, but to date hundreds of indigenous farmers who are beneficiaries of the land reform programme which was coined in 2000 — have taken up the challenge to tender the crop and met with success unexpectedly.
When most of these farmers took up the farms, they were poor, lacked enough food, sufficient money to meet their health, education, essential services and other basic needs and owned few productive assets, among others.
Today, and owing to macadamia farming, their lives have undergone positive economic transformation and have made meaningful farm investments, chiseled their farming expertise from proceeds of exports.
Some have invested in trucks, urban houses and livestock.
The demand for macadamia exports is huge. The crop is sure bait and when one looks at the conducive climate, notwithstanding the unpredictability of rainfall patterns within seasons and between years, macadamia farming is arguably one of the booming farming businesses.
The farmers have since turned their traditionally cereal (maize, wheat and beans) fields into macadamia plots. The paradigm shift in the farming patterns was occasioned by poor market and prices for the crops, poor funding on inputs and climate change-induced hostile weather conditions.
The crop takes between three to five years to mature.
The success story of macadamia farming in Chipinge hinges on minimal costs of production. The tree-like crop, unlike other crops, like tea, coffee, tobacco and maize, which demand heavy investments in land preparation, inputs, chemicals and labour, demands little investment and attention up to harvesting.
All a farmer needs is to prepare seedlings and then transfer them to the farm and to pay little attention to irrigation schedule, fertiliser and chemical application, especially during the flowering stage.
Information gleaned from Agritex in Chipinge shows that about 3 300 hectares have been put under macadamia, out of which 10 000t of macadamia nuts were sold last season.
Current statistics were not readily available, but indications are that land put under the nuts has more than doubled as many farmers venture into this cheap-to-produce crop.
Chipinge District extension officer, Mr Tapiwa Chagwesha, said macadamia farming in Chipinge had the potential of transforming the lives of people as it generates huge profits from minute investment.
Mr Chagwesha said macadamia farming proved suitable for resource poor smallholder farmers.
“The crop is not capital intensive as compared to other cash crops. Many farmers in Chipinge are now self-sufficient after venturing into macadamia nuts. This has turned out to be the boom of agriculture revival in the district. All farmers need to do is to collect the nuts and sow them in a nursery and after they have grown to 30cm in height, they then transplant them into the field.
“This fast growing plant can start to bear fruits after three years and has a life span of up to 30 years. I foresee macadamia overtaking crops like coffee, tea and maize in Chipinge,” said Mr Chagwesha.
He said macadamia was the best commercial crop in Chipinge because of its open markets and high demand.
The crop fetches competitive producer price.
“The crop price and the market are good and buyers pay handsomely.
Currently there are at least five buyers of macadamia nuts in Chipinge. The major buyers are the Chinese and Kenyans companies that buy in bulk. The highest grade for the nuts fetches around $3, 50 per kg, meaning a farmer who gets a minimum of three tonnes can get a gross of $10 500 making it the highest paying crop so far,” he said.
Macadamia grows well in natural regions one and two. The crop ripens after 10 months. Farmers in Chipinge start picking them between March and April. A macadamia tree can produce around 100kg of the nuts per season.
A tonne of unshelled nuts fetches around $2 000.
A farmer can get a minimum of $7 000 per hectare.
“We have now shifted to macadamia nuts farming because the crop is both easy to grow and has high returns on our investment. One does not need to stress as is the case with coffee, tea, tobacco, beans and maize. With macadamia, you only put a little investment and earn more when selling.
“We are only growing maize to ensure household food security. We stopped the production of maize on commercial scale realising that the staple crop yields were very poor and unrewarding,” said one macadamia farmer in Chipinge who refused to be named.
Mr Solomon Sithole, who owns a 30ha macadamia estate in Clearwater, said the golden nut was profitable and easy to grow.
“It is more profitable to grow macadamia than any crop you can think off. Some of these crops require huge subsidies to get high yields. My experience so far shows that I invested less capital, but realised huge profits after selling. This is despite poor rainfall patterns,” said Mr Sithole.
As an embracement of the value addition and beneficiation dictates of the country’s economic blue print Zim-Asset, Government together with farmers has set up a macadamia processing factory in Chipinge.
The factory is already helping farmers in processing the nuts and providing them with seedlings at a cheaper price.
The macadamia sector is however, under siege from unscrupulous people, who have swarmed the district and pouncing on farms armed with dangerous weapons to steal the highly paying nuts.
Mr Philemon Myambo, who planted 30 hectares of macadamia nuts, said he was living in constant fear of thieves at his estate.
Mr Myambo accused illegal miners struggling to make ends meet for becoming a menace in their estates.
“We are facing safety difficulties on our farms because of marauding thieves that often invade our farms stealing the nuts. We are losing several tonnes of nuts to thieves, which are armed with dangerous weapons. We suspect illegal diamond miners who failed to make ends meet at Chiadzwa and in Chimanimani. They are now invading of estates stealing our produce, and selling a bucket for $60,” he said.
Online Reporter