The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Correspondent
A TOTAL of 30 Nyanyadzi smallholder farmers who recently penned lucrative deals on sustainable horticultural farming, and value addition of butternuts and onions with two local organisations are smiling all the way to the bank.
The farmers have so far sold 60 tonnes of onions, and 30 tonnes of butternuts, with 30 more tonnes of butternuts being harvested, and expected to be sold in the coming weeks.
The farmers were contracted by Africa Economic Development Strategies (AEDS), in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
In turn, the farmers are growing butternuts and onions which they sell to AEDS and the local communities.
In an interview, an agronomist with FAO, Mr Philimon Chimwe, said through AEDS, the farmers participated in sustainable farming training where they were trained on how to have maximum production from their small pieces of land.
“They were trained in butternuts and onions production, and were supplied with seeds, fertilisers and other inputs. They were not specialising in butternuts and onions farming before. After their training, they are now producing top quality produce which the market is ready to consume.
“They used only five hectares to produce about 120 tonnes of onions and butternuts. The move by AEDS is meant to alleviate poverty at household level, and change the 30 farmers’ livelihoods,” he said.
Mr Chimwe said since butternuts have a lot of nutrients, the farmers and their families were now guaranteed balanced diets and healthy livelihoods.
He said as part of the contracts with AEDS, they would be supplied with inputs, while they sell their produce to the company.
“So far, the farmers are quite happy with the rates that the company is using to buy their produce. We have not received any complaints like what we are getting from other areas where contracted farming is being practised,” he said.
Mr Chimwe said the deal had brought markets closer to their farms.
“Farming with no ready market is not profitable. Our farmers no longer have to travel to Mutare or Harare to sell their produce and grapple with so many challenges along the way. With this contract farming, AEDs comes to buy the produce from their doorstep,” he said.
One of the farmers, Mrs Rudo Chayamiti, said they were producing better crops compared to their past experiences.
“We were not only empowered with farming inputs for value addition, but we are also getting the relevant knowledge on how to grow top quality butternuts and onions.
“We now know the best butternuts and onions varieties to grow, how to prevent diseases, harvesting and storage of the crops. We are now professionally growing our crops. We are not just producing for household food security, but for the market and we are raking in profits out of this venture,” she said.
She also said besides guaranteeing them markets, contract farming guaranteed them fixed rates.
