Andrew
Theseus Shambare
WOMEN have always played a key role in agriculture.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), women constitute 43 percent of the global agricultural labour force, but the figure is not so high when it comes to land ownership.
But sometimes, all it takes for women to take up that substantive role is a supportive partner.
With the current revolution of Zimbabweans taking up agriculture, Mr George Chisoko and Mrs Junior Makiiwa-Chisoko chose “not to be left behind”.
Mrs Makiiwa-Chisoko is now a successful farmer in her own right.
What Mr Chisoko had was land, as a beneficiary of the land reform programme.
However, it was his wife who was passionate about agriculture.
Today, Mrs Makiiwa-Chisoko is arguably one of the best smallholder farmers from Mazowe District, Mashonaland Central province, thanks to Government’s farmer support facilities.
“I would like to thank Government, which empowered the Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services (AARDS) extension officers who came here and taught me and other women from this area on professionalising farming.
“We did not know that we can have our husbands as business partners, separating family affairs from business.
“But through AARDS officers’ agri-business advisory services, today I am a recognised female farmer in this whole province,” she said.
When Government introduced the Joint Venture (JV) framework, Mrs Makiiwa-Chisoko never thought it was possible for married women who did not have land to their name.
“I reluctantly entered into a JV framework, whereby I used my husband’s land to do my crops and give him his share for the land, while I also realised my profits.
“Initially I got Presidential inputs support under the then Command Agriculture, after which I successfully managed to buy a tractor.”
From that year – 2019 – she never looked back.
“This current season I am under the AFC loan facility, which helped me to expand my wheat hectarage with flawless input supply,” she said.
The JV framework, which was operationalised in 2020, is a match-making framework or platform between investors and landholders who are beneficiaries of the land reform.
It is meant to ensure that every piece of land is fully utilised.
In this case, Mrs Makiiwa-Chisoko is the investor through Government’s financial support.
This year, she boasts of 28,9 hectares of wheat, from which she is expecting an average seven tonnes per hectare.
Harvesting is currently underway.
Besides wheat, she also produces green maize, soya beans and sugar beans.
In his speech during the wheat field day held at George Chisoko Satchel Farm last week, AARDS acting director Mr Misheck Chitokomere, who was represented by agronomist Mr Bernard Torevasei, applauded Mrs Makiiwa-Chisoko’s determination.
“If we could have many women like Mrs Makiiwa-Chisoko, Government’s agriculture programmes will transform our nation into the breadbasket of Africa.
“It is from such frameworks that the whole Mashonaland Central province has a record hectarage under wheat of more than 14 000 hectares,” said Mr Chitokomere.
Online Reporter