adminEdwin Mwase
Mhangura, formerly a copper-producing town, has transformed into an agricultural haven. Mhangura Copper Mine closed shop in 1998 due to the dwindling copper prices on the global market. This was after the mine had established itself as a copper producing giant in sub-Sahara Africa. After operations ceased, thousands of workers were rendered jobless.
But not for long.
Taking advantage of the land reform exercise at its embryonic stage, the former copper miners turned into farmers, and were resettled at various farms located around the mine.
Big farms such as Jessy, Kotso, Cotswold, Gudubu, Rixton and Mazamba, to name but just a few, were earmarked for resettlement and the rest is history.
Farming is now the buzzword in Mhangura. It has unlocked economic growth.
Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union second vice-president, Barean Mukwende, is one of the prominent farmers who resettled in the area.
“The place is in Region 2A which allows for the production of crops such as maize, tobacco, coffee and even citrus as rainfall is well above 1 000 millilitres a year,” he said.
Mukwende said the area is also frost-free and this allows production of potatoes throughout the year.
Online Reporter