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Daniel Chigunwe Herald Correspondent
Youths in Harare are embracing horticulture with many small holder farmers emerging through peri-urban farming in a bid to generate extra income and bolster household food security.
This is the case in the high density suburbs of Budiriro and Glenary where youths are exploiting the Mukuvisi River to irrigate a wide range of crops.
This has become a lucrative means of livelihood for many households.
Having formed a scheme, Tambawakaguta, Albert Mushore and Bruce Chiketero who are farming a one and half hectare peri-urban plot in Budiriro said there was need for urban youths to consider the financial benefits of agro-business.
“We have come to realise that in this modern day, farming should be embraced by everyone especially making use of the vast available land so that we fight hunger and poverty among ourselves.
“Therefore, my friend and myself started a scheme called Tambawakaguta in which we are farming an assortment of crops mainly for commercial purposes so that we create extra pools of income,” said Mushore.
Working only with hoes and mattocks the two boast of nearly ripen crops including 3 200 plants of potatoes, 3 000 plants of tomatoes, okra, butternuts, cucumbers and green mealies which they are irrigating using a makeshift water-pump.
However, theft is a major setback with irrigation equipment like water pumps and pipes the main targets.
“We started our business from scratch using our own proceeds, that is after we converted a generator into a pump that we were using all along until it was recently stolen, a situation which is affecting our operations.
“Especially now when our crops are now near harvest and need proper quantities of water, we need a pump,” said Chiketero
“We are in the process of formalizing our scheme so that we are eligible in accessing funding from Youth Bank and Women Bank and even secure markets with reputable buyers so that we maximise value addition in our business,” added Mushore.
Besides being an income generating enterprise, farming presents opportunities to fight drug abuse and alcoholism which is on the increase especially among the ghetto youths.
“Our social motive is to display among the ghetto youths that the means of earning money is through sweat and respecting the dignity of labour to buttress our President’s mantra that Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo — Ilizwe Lakhiwa Ngabanikazi Balo, that way we fight down social ills like drug abuse and alcoholism.”
Online Reporter