NJENGOBA abalimi belungiselela isikhathi sokulima somnyaka ka-2026/27, ingcitshi kuloluhlangothi sezikhuthaze abalimi ukuthi bathathe umshuwalensi wezokulima njengendlela yokuzivikela ekulahlekelweni okungabangelwa yikuguquka kwesimo sezulu okubangelwa yi-El Niño.
Isiphathamandla senkampani yomshuwalensi, uMnumzana Ronnie Damara, uthe ezokulima zingezinye zenhlangothi zomnotho ezisengozini enkulu yokuthinteka nxa kukhulunywa ngokuguquka kwesimo somkhathi, ngakho-ke umshuwalensi kawumelanga kubonakale angathi yimali eyabe idlaliswa, kodwa yindlela yokuqondisa ingozi lokuvikela imali esetshenzisiweyo.
Uthe abalimi kumele babone umshuwalensi njengendlela yokubancedisa ukuthi bangalahlekelwa yimali yonke abayifake emsebenzini wokulima nxa kungaba lomonakalo omkhulu obangelwa zingozi zemvelo loba ezinye izehlakalo ezingakhangelelwanga.
“Umshuwalensi wezokulima uyindlela eqakathekileyo yokuvikela imali yabalimi engozini, ngoba ubavikela ekulahlekelweni okuthile okungavela ngesikhathi besenza umsebenzi wokulima,” kutsho uMnu Damara.
Uthe isikhathi ngasinye sokulima sifuna imali enengi yokuthenga inhlanyelo, umvundiso, imithi yokuvikela izilimo, ukubhadala izisebenzi kanye lokuthenga lokulungisa imitshina lemitshina yokuthelezela izilimo. Konke lokhu kungatshabalaliswa yizehlakalo zemvelo.
“Izikhukhula, umlilo, isiqhotho loba ukonakala kwemitshina kungaphambanisa umlimi ekutholeni inzuzo emsebenzini wakhe. Ngakho-ke umshuwalensi unika abalimi ithuba lokudlulisela ezinye ingozi zezimali enkampanini yomshuwalensi, kulandelwa izimiso zesivumelwano sabo,” kutsho yena.
UMnu Damara ugcizelele ukuqakatheka kokuthi abalimi bazwisise izivumelwano zomshuwalensi wabo, esithi akusiyo yonke imihlobo yomshuwalensi wezokulima evikela kusomiso, kuzikhukhula loba ekutshabalaleni kwezilimo.
“Abalimi badinga ukuncediswa ukuthi babone ingozi ababhekane lazo njalo bakhethe umshuwalensi ohambelana labo. Amankampani omshuwalensi labacebisi bawo balomlandu wokuqinisekisa ukuthi abalimi bayakuzwisisa okuvikelwa ngumshuwalensi kanye lalokho okungavikelwayo,” kutsho yena.
Uchaze ukuthi umshuwalensi wezilimo ungavikela abalimi ezingozini ezinjengeziqhotho, umlilo kanye lezinye izingozi ezivunyelwene esivumelwaneni. Umonakalo obangelwa yizikhukhula lezivunguzane lawo ungavikelwa nxa ubalwe ngokucacileyo esivumelwaneni somshuwalensi.
Uthe abalimi abakhathazeke kakhulu ngomonakalo obangelwa yikoma kumele babuze ngemihlobo yomshuwalensi eyenzelwe ukuvikela ekomeni loba leyo esebenzisa izilinganiso zesimo sezulu, lapho etholakala khona.
“Umshuwalensi wezilimo ojayelekileyo kawuvikeli ngokuzenzakalela ekomeni loba ekuvuneni isivuno esincane ngenxa yokusilela kwezulu. Abalimi kumele baqinisekise ukuthi bayazwisisa ukuthi umshuwalensi wabo uvikela okunganani bengakawuthengi,” kutsho yena.
UMnu Damara uphinde wakhuthaza abalimi abafuye izifuyo ukuthi bazithathele umshuwalensi ovikela inkomo zochago, izinkukhu kanye lezinye izifuyo ezisengozini ezithile.
Uthe kusiya ngesivumelwano, umshuwalensi wezifuyo ungabhadala umlimi nxa izifuyo zakhe zingafa ngenxa yengozi, imikhuhlane kumbe ezinye izehlakalo ezivikelwa ngumshuwalensi.
“Abalimi kumele bazi ukuthi ukufa kwezifuyo okubangelwa yikoma, yindlala kumbe ukuqhamuka kwemikhuhlane kuyavikelwa yini kumbe akuvikelwa, ngoba izingozi lezi kazingeniswa ngokuzenzakalela emishuwalensini eminengi ejayelekileyo,” kutsho yena.
Ngaphandle kwezilimo lezifuyo, uMnu Damara ukhuthaze abalimi ukuthi bavikele imitshina yezokulima, impahla yokulima kanye lezakhiwo zemapulazini ezigoqela izindlu zokomisa igwayi, iziphala kanye lezinsika zamandla elanga emonakalweni ongabangelwa ngumlilo, izivunguzane, izikhukhula lokutshontshwa kwempahla.
Umongameli weZimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union, uDr Shadreck Makombe, uthe abalimi abanengi bayakubona ukuqakatheka komshuwalensi wezokulima, kodwa inengi labo lisadinga ulwazi olujulileyo ngokuthi umshuwalensi usebenza njani.
“Abalimi bayasizwisisa indingeko yokuvikela imisebenzi yabo yokulima ezingozini zemvelo kanye lezingozi ezibangelwa ngabantu. Okwenza abanengi bangawuthathio yikuswelakala kwemali yokuthenga umshuwalensi kanye lokungazwisisi imihlobo yawo etholakalayo,” kutsho yena.
UDr Makombe uncome imizamo yamankampani omshuwalensi wokuxhumana labalimi, kodwa wathi kusadingeka ukufundisa abalimi kabanzi ukuze abanengi babo bathathe umshuwalensi.
“Umshuwalensi unceda wonke umuntu. Amankampani omshuwalensi athola ibhizimusi, kuthi abalimi bathole uncedo lwemali nxa behlelwe ngumonakalo. Imali abayitholayo ingabe ingabuyiseli konke okulahlekeleyo, kodwa ibavikela ngcono kulokungabi lomshuwalensi,” kutsho yena.
