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Conrad Mupesa Herald Correspondent
Mashonaland West is well-known as one of the leading provinces in the production of different crops, most notably tobacco, which is the country’s second highest foreign currency earner.
The province owes this tag to farmers who toil every year to make the land productive.
One of these farmers is Ms Esther Zandile Maseko, who has become a beacon of success and the pride of the province after consistently retaining the title of best tobacco farmer in Mashonaland West Province.
Ms Maseko (54) was allocated Carlton Curlieu Farm, Plot 1, in Zvimba South Constituency’s Trelawney area in 2002 and started experimenting with different crops, including tobacco on a small piece of her 115 hectare farm.
She faced setbacks due to challenges such as limited expertise, poor farming equipment and poor financial resources.
Her breakthrough came in 2012 when she went into partnership with 76-year-old tobacco farming expert, Mr Joe Pistorious.
With the help of Mr Pistorious, Ms Maseko managed to increase her capacity to 95 hectares, with tobacco taking up almost half the area under production.
Apart from Mr Pistorious’ assistance, Ms Maseko also owes her success to the fact that most of the arable land on her farm is made up of loam-sand soil, which is conducive for the production of the golden leaf.
She retained all the workers and families that she found at the farm, which ensured continuity and a cross pollination of ideas.
When The Herald visited the farm last week, at least 100 workers were scattered all over the farm performing various tasks, while most were busy harvesting the tobacco crop that was put under 40 hectares, which is destined for Mashonaland Tobacco Company (MTC) where she is contracted.
Of the 40 hectares, 20 hectares was irrigated from September 2019, while another 10 was semi-irrigated and the last 10 hectares was rain-fed.
To date, the workers have covered 10 hectares of her irrigated crop, which has already been cured and now awaits grading.
Ms Maseko spoke glowingly about her partnership with Mr Pistorious of Sendit Management.
“When I was allocated the farm, I lacked the farming expertise and as a result I struggled and had to contend with successive losses,” she said.
“However, since I met Joe Pristorious, I have managed to acquire knowledge that equates to that which our children are accessing at colleges and universities.”
Ms Maseko attributed her success in tobacco production to contract farming, which she has engaged since 2012.
“Currently, I am contracted to Mashonaland Tobacco Company (MTC) and this has helped a lot at the farm,” she said.
“MTC has made sure that my 103 workers get National Employment Council (NEC)-pegged wages and groceries as tokens of appreciation, while the company has provided us with at least 30 000 litres of diesel for the backup generators we use for curing our tobacco.
“Local tobacco farmers should engage in contract farming to overcome the various challenges that are involved in tobacco production.”
Ms Maseko highlighted that she wanted to expand her hectarage to at least 100 next season as she hoped to lease more land from her neighbours.
Her farm manager, Edson Mtavati, said the farm was expecting to get at least 4 000 kilogrammes per hectare after 15 600 plants of tobacco were put under each hectare.
Online Reporter