Online Reporter
Walter Nyamukondiwa
Mashonaland West Bureau Chief
A 20-MEMBER delegation comprising farmers, councillors and government leaders from Namibia’s Kavango East Region is in the country for a five-day working exchange visit in Mashonaland West Province.
The reciprocal visit follows a similar trip by a delegation from Mashonaland West Province, after a twinning arrangement between the two provinces initiated at the Presidential level.
Governor Julius Hamunyera Hambyuka is leading the delegation that arrived in the country by road on Monday and is expected to visit several enterprises in agriculture and technical education.
The head of delegation and his team paid a courtesy call on Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Marian Chombo, at her offices in Chinhoyi yesterday morning.
He expressed the delegation’s desire to learn more from farmers in the province and technical colleges.
“In our region we do not have an agricultural college and we would be grateful if we can visit a technical agricultural college so that we can learn how they do it,” said Governor Hambyuka.
“We are also interested in knowing how farmers have been able to upscale to such levels of production. What role does Government play in the process?”
Minister Chombo said Government had schemes to support farmers at every level through inputs, technical and mechanisation support.
“Government plays a major role in ensuring that our farmers are capacitated to produce with inputs cost being deducted upon a farmer selling their produce from either banks or direct support but with Government as the guarantor,” she said.
“However, there are others who have gained their foothold and do not need any Government support. They use their own resources to produce.”
Minister Chombo assured the visiting delegation that the province would facilitate a visit to Gwebi Agricultural College.
The delegation is expected to attend this year’s Mashonaland West Agricultural Show.
They later visited PaCombe Farm in Zvimba, where Mr Ephraim Pasipanodya and his family are commercially producing crops and livestock.
Mr Pasipanodya hailed Government for the land reform programme and support that has seen the farm growing from doing four hectares of tobacco to 200ha, and from 10ha maize to around 300ha now and from 30ha wheat to around 300ha.
The delegation was amazed by the levels of production and organisation on the farms.
Governor Hambyuka commended high levels of productivity on the farm saying farmers among the delegation and government officials had so much to take back home.
“I am very impressed with what Mr Pasipanodya is doing here. There is a lot of production going on here. We have a lot to learn and take back home for implementation,” he said.
The visitors later toured projects being undertaken by Chinhoyi Technical High College.
Minister Chombo hosted a reception dinner for the visiting delegation last night.
