admin Farming Matters with Samuel Kadungure
Cultural practices should be given due regard instead of being resorted to only when everything else fails — and some of these practices — have the double-barrel effect on farmers as well as consumers.One such issue is the cultivation and consumption of traditional herbs.
Herbs are an ideal avenue of farming given that arid regions of Manicaland areas are unsuitable for the production of hardy traditional grains.
If farmers grow herbs, they would be assured of a crop even in instances of drought.
While consumers all over the world have used herbs for cooking, medicine or to make cosmetics such as soap, shampoo and perfume, their mass production and marketing have not received much attention.
Most edible herbs and spices contain important vitamins and minerals, which help to keep our bodies strong and healthy. Many edible herbs and spices can help to stimulate the appetite and soothe sore mouths and throats.
Research has shown that herbal remedies can be used to help ease symptoms of illnesses.
Some of the herbs are Fadogia ancylantha bush and the Lippia javanica which are used to produce Makoni and Zumbani herbal teas.
Makoni herbal tea is produced from the leaves of the Fadogia ancylantha bush, which grows mostly in the Eastern Highlands.
Makoni Herbal Tea, which has medicinal properties, is produced by the Makoni Indigenous Tea Producers’ Association.
Makoni Herbal tea is traditionally used to boost the immune system, build stamina, and treat abdominal pain, including menstrual pain, backache and chest pains, coughs and flu and a variety of other ailments. The herbal tea is also used as an aphrodisiac and to treat fertility problems in women.
Although the traditional uses have not been scientifically proven, it has been proved that Makoni Herbal Tea is caffeine free and high in zinc (higher than Rooibos).
Zinc is an important mineral lacking in many people’s diets. The deficiency often leads to a weakened immune system.
The Southern Alliance for Indigenous Resources (SAFIRE), has been facilitating the establishment of a community-based enterprise by encouraging members of Ward 23 of Nyanga to form an indigenous tea producers association. The association consists of 200 members who collect leaves of the herb and pre-process them for the production of Makoni tea.
This is done in partnership with private companies, Katiyo, Tanganda and Speciality Foods of Africa which were involved in the final processing and packaging of the leaves, marketing and selling the tea.
The association earns revenue from the sale of the pre-processed leaves and receives dividends based on returns from tea sales locally and abroad. However, revenue receipts have been limited due to competition with established herbal teas and inadequate promotion and marketing.
Agritex head Mr Godfrey Mamhare said farmers must diversify their livelihoods. He said it was high time indigenous herbal teas such as Makoni and Zumbani saturate the Zimbabwean market.
“The growth of that sector is being hampered by lack of education and knowledge. We needs to see herbal teas saturating the Zimbabwean market, but that can only be possible if the players warm up to aggressive marketing and promotional activities.
“We should not look at our herbal products as inferior. For your own information, Rooibos, which has dominated the Zimbabwean market, is a herbal product from South Africa. If you look at it, Makoni Herbal Tea tastes far better than any other herbal tea that you can think of, but it is not known even in the districts that it is produced,” said Mr Mamhare.
Research has shown that while little is known about Makoni Herbal Tea, the product has over the past years dominated the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and is a favourite in the Western countries.
“Makoni Herbal Tea, whose commercial production started last year, is reputed to have medicinal properties for building stamina, strengthening bones, treating back, abdominal and chest pains, and can also be used as an aphrodisiac,” reads a statement from . The exhibition will show that through the efforts of community- based enterprises, entire communities find themselves with something gainful to do,” the association said in a statement.
Zumbani Tea commonly known as Fever tea or lemon bush, is made from crushed green plant leaves that have a pleasant, refreshing, minty, lemon flavour. It also excellent for bringing down fevers hence its name fever tree. Zumbani is caffeine free and high in potassium which makes it ideal in regulating blood pressure. It is also high in magnesium and iron which are vital elements. The tea also has anti-oxidant properties due to its relatively high phenolic content.
Zumbani, is a woody shrub reaching about two metres and its leaves produce a lemon smell when crushed. Its leaves and twigs are used as tea, mainly to treat coughs, colds, fever and bronchitis. The herb is used to treat coughs, colds, fever and bronchitis, malaria, influenza and measles. When the leaves and twigs are burned the smoke is said to be effective for treating cough and asthma. Skin disorders, such as heat rash and other rashes, as well as scratches, stings and bites can also be treated. Here the tea is usually cooled and then applied like a lotion. Even lice and scabies can be treated with it.
The plant can be grown as a repellent windbreak on the edges of gardens. A pesticide can be made from the crushed leaves and branches. This is best grown from cuttings when the temperatures are high towards the rainy season. Zumbani tolerates most soils but prefers full sun and well-drained soils. Zumbani is not very well known yet it’s one of the most abundant plants in many areas of Zimbabwe.
“These plants are drought tolerant, and can be a very liable source of livelihood for local farmers,” said Mr Mamhare.
He said that the herbs have a low vulnerability to climate change, which means the degree to which these vegetation are susceptible to or unable to cope with adverse effects of climate change, is minimal.
The plant is purely African and generally grows all year round on grassland and stream banks.
Online Reporter