adminThupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
Zhovhe Estate, a wholly indigenous-owned company, has invested US$10 million into irrigation infrastructure development, livestock production and fisheries to complement Government-initiated land reform and value addition programmes.
In an interview yesterday, the organisation’s chief executive Mr Tisetso Sebata said the farm was now the biggest supplier of flour, mealie meal and fish to communities in the Matabeleland region.
He said to enhance value addition, they invested in milling plants for stockfeeds, flour, mealie meal, cooking oil and that they were working on setting up an abattoir and leather turnip.
Mr Sebata said they had invested around 1,5 million fingerlings on their fisheries which produces at least 20 tonnes of fish monthly.
“This project was started in 2016 and we are still exploring other opportunities that will help grow the local and national economy,” he said.
“So far we have invested US$10 million at this farm.
“We have a cross-section of activities we are implementing to boost agriculture production, employment creation, food security and recreation.
“Our main source of water is the Zhovhe Dam, which is one of the biggest dams in the country. In terms of livestock, we have 1 000 cattle, 450 goats, 313 sheep and 2 800 broilers.
“In terms of fisheries, we have invested in 1,5 million fingerlings and we have already started breading mainly the tilapia breams and we are aiming to produce over 20 tonnes for the market monthly.”
Mr Sebata said the firm, which has 60 permanent employees, supplies local retail shops, with its major client being the Zimbabwe National Army.
He said they had put 240 hectares under (Command Wheat), 70 hectares under maize), 30 hectares under sugar beans), 105 hectares under soyabeans, 10 hectares under water melons), two hectares under tomatoes and one hectare under assorted vegetables.
Mr Sebata said to promote value addition, they had invested in a milling plant that produces stockfeeds, mealie meal, flour, cooking oil and peanut butter.
He said though they were yet to reach their potential, they have the capacity to mill 20 tonnes of mealie meal and 20 tonnes of flour daily.
He said they were manufacturing their own stockfeeds for fish and cattle based on demand and were looking to increase their herd from 1 000 to 11 000.
“On livestock, we have started constructing an abattoir and eventually a turnip for leather and related products,” said Mr Sebata.
“We have also cleared 500 hectares of land to roll out a citrus project.”
He said besides combining horticulture projects on the farm, they had also built a lodge (Zhovhe Leisure Park) to cater for tourists coming to see the dam and children on educational trips to the farm and were having guided boat cruises tours of the dam.
Zhovhe Estate farm manager Mr Mthulisi Sibanda said the farm was irrigated by 17 state-of-the-art centre pivots and that they were working on investing in a solar garden to minimise the effects of load shedding.
Online Reporter