Online Reporter
Amos Mpofu, [email protected]
THREE farmers from Tsholotsho District, Matabeleland North, have been honoured for their outstanding efforts in sustainable farming under the SeedCo National Crop Farming Competition.
The awards were presented last week Tuesday at Tada Hall during the district’s second “Good Seed and Food Festival”
The competition, launched last year by SeedCo, is designed to reinvest part of the company’s profits back into the farming communities, motivate farmers and encourage healthy competition to enhance productivity.
SeedCo’s sales agronomist for Matabeleland region, Mr Wallace Banda, officially handed over the prizes at the event. The top three farmers received practical, farming-related equipment aimed at boosting their productivity sustainably.
“The farmer in first place received a soil auger, second place was awarded a plough, shovel and shear, while the third-place winner received a cultivator,” said Mr Banda.
He explained that these tools were chosen to align with the Government’s thrust towards sustainable agriculture.
“These are not just ordinary prizes. They are tools meant to equip farmers for long-term productivity. It’s not like giving someone fish, we’re giving them a rod and a hook so they can fish for themselves,” said Mr Banda.
He linked the prizes to Government initiatives like Intwasa or Pfumvudza conservation farming model, which promotes production of high yields at household level.
“If you look at the soil auger, it supports the digging of planting holes, a key component of the Intwasa programme. The cultivator reduces weeds and improves productivity. The plough is multipurpose, it can be modified to suit different tasks,” said Mr Banda.
“These are sustainable tools designed to support Government policy and improve yields.”
He also explained the competition’s structure, which operates on three levels — district, provincial and national.
“To enter, a farmer simply needed to buy a 10kg SeedCo seed pack along with any other SeedCo product worth at least one US dollar,” he said.
“They would then send a photo of the receipt to a designated WhatsApp number, where their entry would be logged.”
Following the entry process, random draws were conducted to shortlist participants from each province. Shortlisted farmers were then visited by SeedCo agronomists, Agritex officers, and other officials, who assessed performance using a standard judging form.
“This process allowed us to identify the top three farmers in each district,” Mr Banda said.
“Winners from each district then advanced to compete at the provincial level, and those winners proceeded to the national competition.”
At the district level, the prizes had the first place (soil auger), second place (plough, shovel and shear) and third place (cultivator).
Provincial winners received on first place (multipurpose sheller for maize, millet and sorghum), second place (3kV solar kit including inverter, panels and lithium battery) and third place (ox-drawn planter).
At national level, the rewards were more substantial with the 1st place winning a tractor, which was won this year by a farmer in Gokwe. The second place was awarded a two-wheel tractor with a mounted planter while the third place got a two-wheel tractor with a trailer
Recognising the critical role of extension officers, SeedCo also awarded Agritex staff who supported farmers throughout the competition. At district level, the top extension officer received a mobile phone worth US$200. At provincial level, the prize was a tablet valued at US$500. Nationally, the best-performing officer received a laptop worth US$1,000.
“The objectives of this competition are threefold. First, to give back to the farmers who make our business possible. Second, to motivate them and third, to foster a spirit of competition because when farmers compete, they improve,” said Mr Banda. “They adopt good practices, choose the right seed, and follow sound agronomic advice. That ultimately leads to better performance and better harvests.”
One of the award-winning farmers, Mrs Nkosizile Ndlovu, who came first in Tsholotsho District, urged others to take such programmes seriously.
“I joined this programme last year, and I’m proud to have emerged number one in my district,” she said.
“I didn’t take it seriously the first time, but this year I followed Agritex’s guidance, and it paid off. I encourage fellow farmers to participate fully – it really motivates us to improve.”
Mr Timothy Phiri, who received the plough in second place, also shared his journey. Alongside his wife, Nhlawulelo Phiri, he has been practising Intwasa farming for five years and joined the competition last year.
“We did all we could to win this award. Now we feel more encouraged to do even better and hopefully compete at national level in future,” he said.
