Villagers set to benefit from banana project
March 24, 2013 in Community News
CHIPINGE — More than 200 small-scale irrigation farmers in Mutema and
Chibuwe villages are set to benefit from a banana plantation project
financed by Matanuska, a farming concern controlled by Malaysian investors.
BY OUR CORRESPONDENT
The company last year gave villagers inputs such as fertilisers and suckers
to start banana plantations and they are expected to have their first
harvest “in a few months” to come.
Matanuska liaison officer, Crispen Manyuchi told Standardcommunity that the
company had assisted at least 240 farmers with inputs and trained them in
banana plantations management last year.
“They are operating on a five-year contract where the company will provide
them with inputs and requisite training on how to manage banana
plantations,” said Manyuchi. “We started the project in Mutema village but
because of the interest shown by other farmers we have included farmers from
Chibuwe village.”
The beneficiaries hoped that the venture would bring relief to their
financial problems following the collapse of several tomato and beans
farming projects in their area.
The projects collapsed after water pumps broke down in 2000.
One of the beneficiaries, Mark Tembwe said, “Since the breakdown of the
water pumps in 2000, there was no meaningful farming project here till last
year when a banana project was introduced. We are set to harvest our first
banana fruits in the next few months.”
A banana plant takes about nine months to mature and produce bananas.
Another beneficiary, Artwell Chingara said the project was a real
empowerment venture which would benefit several other communities.
He said the company also gave them loans which they are expected to repay
once the farmers sell their produce.
“We agreed to repay the loans once we sell our banana produce; this is real
empowerment of communities and we are grateful for the initiative,” he said.
Farmers at Jopa near Chipinge town, who were assisted by another company to
grow bananas, are already selling their produce.