Women venture into castor bean farming

13 Mar, 2020 - 00:03 0 Views
Women venture into castor bean farming

The ManicaPost

Wimbainashe Zhakata Farming Correspondent

Manicaland’s women in agriculture are venturing into castor bean farming courtesy of funding from the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank (ZWMB). 

Government, through ZWMB, inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Life Brand Agriculture Services to empower women through castor bean production. Apart from castor bean, ZWMB is also financing other farming ventures like apiculture, poultry, horticulture, sunflower, sorghum and maize production. ZWMB head of marketing and public relations Ms Barbara Muyengwa said the bank has disbursed castor bean inputs enough to cover 100 hectares in the province.

“In line with the bank’s mandate to empower women economically and socially, we identified the lucrative enterprise of castor bean production. Not all women were able to access the castor bean farming inputs due to the high costs involved and the bank intervened by extending affordable loans, with flexible repayment terms, to  them.”

The project has benefited women in Rukweza, Buhera, Chipinge, Mutasa, Rusape, Zimunya and Odzi.

“We have disbursed castor bean inputs for 100ha,” said Ms Muyengwa.

Ms Muyengwa said the castor bean project will improve the living standards of the beneficiaries.

“The project will improve living standards and cash flows for the rural women. These female farmers will accrue immense benefits because, unlike other conventional crops, castor bean is harvested thrice a year,” aid Ms Muyengwa.

Castor bean produces high returns per unit area.

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