admin
Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Mashonaland West province continues to be the anchor of the country’s agricultural revolution as farmers in the area have become the torch-bearers in various farming disciplines in the quest to reposition the country into a breadbasket and a shining example in the SADC region and beyond.
The province remains the benchmark of the Government’s various agricultural initiatives such as Pfumvudza/Intwasa where the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa seeks to boost household food security and consequently ensure national food security, a development that will reduce or eliminate the import bill.
The ultimate goal is to attain an upper middle class income economy by 2030 in line with the National Development Strategy 1.
Mashonaland West is the engine in the farming of main crops such as maize, wheat, tobacco, soyabeans and cotton, with the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board setting a marketing platform in Karoi.
A visit by the news crew into various farming communities revealed that farmers in the province were determined to turn around the fortunes of the country through making agriculture an engine for development.
Boasting of large tracts of land which before the advent of the land reform was a pride for the white minority, coupled with favourable climate, dams and huge silos such as those found in Banket and Lion’s Den, farmers in the province have a point to prove that locals have the capacity to surpass the benchmark set by the former farmers.
Through various Government initiatives and support rolled out countrywide, the province has not lagged behind in terms of mechanisation and irrigation infrastructure such as centre pivots, driers, combined harvesters, boom sprays, agro-processing plants like milling companies, canning, leather tanning, and agro-chemicals among others.
There are also horticultural projects and products such as flowers, peas, green beans, chillies, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, bananas, macadamia nuts, crocodiles and related products.
To demonstrate that farmers in the province have what it takes to drive the country to the promised land, President Mnangagwa conferred renowned farmer in Makonde, Tinashe Ziki, with an honorary doctorate degree because of his exploits in farming which the Chinhoyi University of Technology could not afford to ignore.
This happened last year where President Mnangagwa, who is Chancellor of all State Universities, conferred Dr Ziki with an honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Agriculture and Technology from CUT.
Dr Ziki does at least 1 000 hectares of maize, wheat and soyabean yearly, with most of the land leased from other nearby farmers.
One other towering figure in the province is Magwada Farm whose 500 hectare farm is between the road linking Chinhoyi and Chegutu.
He has a thriving winter wheat which he is now preparing to harvest, while he has turned his tobacco field into a greenbelt which he has planted.
The farm has irrigation facilities drawing water from a local dam.
Farm manager, Mr Tafadzwa Mpofu said various crops had been planted at the property.
“We grow wheat, soyabeans, tobacco, maize all year round. At the moment we are preparing to harvest wheat,” said Mr Mpofu.
He said the farming projects transformed the lives of many workers drawn from the farm and the local community who were sending their children to school.
“We are helping our workers greatly, when we sell they are equally paid. Nationally, we are contributing to the food security and nutrition through production of flour through wheat farming.
“Our wheat is also used in making home-made bread,” he said.
Mr Mpofu said they were excited by an announcement by the Government recently to pay wheat delivery in foreign currency.
“We are also excited that Government announced that it will pay in United States dollars.
“This will improve viability and encourages us to continue working on the farm,” he said.
Mr Mpofu bemoaned power outages, saying a portion of their wheat crop had been affected in terms of yields.
He said they employed around 120 employees at the farm, 80 of which were on a permanent basis.
There were also smallholder farmers who were planting wheat and were excited by the introduction of payment of hard currency.
“I have five hectare plot here and have planted wheat and maize. I am happy with the Government initiatives such as Presidential input scheme.
“We, however, implore the Government to strive to deliver the inputs early,” said Mrs Maidei Mutimbanyoka.
Speaking during the commissioning of a cattle fattening project by President Mnangagwa at CUT, Mashonaland West Minister of State responsible for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mrs Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said the province was on course to become a bread basket of the country.
“As you are fully aware, Mashonaland West province enjoys and continue to be the bread basket of the nation,” she said.
“It was able to rise up to the ladder in terms of Gross Domestic Product performance from number four in the yesteryear to number three this year. Milestones like this are set to progressively transform the province into an economic powerhouse second to none.
“This is Mashonaland Best, a cutting edge province with a cutting edge university like CUT.”
Boasting of mining activities in minerals such as platinum, gold, chrome, slates, zinc, dolomite, graphite, limestone and tomaline, several water bodies and the mythical Lake Kariba, the sky will always be the limit for the province to attain bread basket status of the country, with favourable climate and soils conducive virtually for any crop to thrive.
Online Reporter