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Conrad Mupesa
IT’S all smiles for 24 households from Rutara Village in Mhondoro-Ngezi’s Ward 10 following the successful roll out of an organic community garden that has vastly improved their financial status with individual farmer pocketing an average of at least US$1 000 from produce sales.
The garden was bankrolled by platinum giant, Zimplats that has since announced intentions to roll out 15 more gardens in selected villages within the district, as part of its social corporate responsibility drive.
Beneficiaries at the 2, 4-hectare Tinotenda Organic Garden Project who are mainly producing organic garlic, turmeric and ginger recently spoke highly of the life-changing initiative that has seen most of them making some rich pickings that are changing their socio-economic realities.
The group is currently maximising 0,4 hectares of the total area to match the pumping capacity the single solar-powered borehole that was installed by the mine.
One of the Rutara villagers, Alois Rukwata (68) confessed that in 30 years of farming on the six-hectare field he was allocated in 1993, he had never managed to realise enough money to buy two beasts, a feat he has now managed from a 160-metre-long and one-metre-wide garden.
“This project has improved our lives.
“From my portion in the garden, I have realised more than enough to buy two beasts. I failed to do this in my 30-year stay in this village,” he said.
Another villager and overall chairman of the project, Mr Ingwani Piki said they owed all the success they were enjoying to the mining giant and were now inspired to do their project on a large scale.
A third beneficiary, Mr Elias Nyamombe echoed the same sentiments explaining how his family had been given an early Christmas present by Zimplats.
“Zimplats gave us a fishing rod and we intend to maximise and increase production,” he said.
The project has become a source of inspiration to neighbouring villages with one villager from Tyton, Mr Nyasha Chamisa (72) saying he could not wait for their turn as they are also expected to benefit from Zimplats’ benevolence.
Tinotenda Organic garden project chairperson, Ms Evelyn Mupambawatyi pleaded with Zimplats for another borehole to enable them to fully uitilise the garden in its entirety.
Zimplats’ corporate affairs manager, Mrs Busi Chindove reaffirmed the company’s support to the group.
“We will install another borehole for the village to maximise production. This project is one of the 15 projects that we initiate across the district. We hope to improve the lives of the people in the areas that we operate in,” she said.
Traditional Grains Producers Association (TGPA) chairman Mr Basil Nyabadza said the organic crops being done by the villagers had a ready international market.
“Most countries are lagging behind and as Zimbabwe, we have to occupy the space. The crops are commonly grown in Nigeria, Egypt and Cameroon and here in Southern Africa, Mozambique and Angola have a share in their production,” he said.
Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development principal seed technician, Ms Tambudzai Chikutuma said due to their safe organic contents, the crops were highly sought after across the world.
The crops are grown organically without fertilisers and chemicals with pest control being done using pure garlic juice.
Online Reporter