Walter Nyamukondiwa Kariba Bureau
Charara Estates, situated about seven kilometres along Charara Road, nearly 20 kilometres before Kariba town, is looking to bounce back to maximum productivity, which saw it producing vegetables and crops for the local and European markets.

Its major produce has been bananas on a plantation covering about 80 hectares, which are sold to major suppliers like Sunspan, markets in Karoi and beyond.

Vendors also buy the bananas  which attract buyers from Zambia.

At its peak around 2000, the privately-owned estate supplied all hotels in Kariba district and beyond with fresh horticultural produce including lettuce, green beans and tomatoes.

It has however, continued to produce green beans, which is being exported through third parties with licences because the estate currently does not have an export permit.

In an interview during a tour of the estate last week, outgoing administrator Mr Edward Katemanyoka said production had declined, but there were efforts to revive other crops to reclaim the market.

“We have been participating in maize production under Command Agriculture since its inception where we have been able to take as much as 100 tonnes to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) in some seasons.

“However, we did not participate in the 2019-20 season owing to drought, broken down equipment and receding Lake Kariba water levels,” said Mr Katemanyoka.

Low water levels in the lake have meant they have to follow the water about a kilometre into the lake where pumps mounted on pontoon boats have been installed to track the water.

He said pumps and engines were now old to meet the high demand for water on the banana plantation in the semi-arid region.

Kariba district is in agricultural regions 4 and 5, meaning there is relatively low rainfall compared to other regions while temperatures average around 36 degrees celsius but can go as high as 44 degrees.

The estate is the only farm where crops are produced since it has an electric fence that keeps out wild animals.

Most people in Kariba cannot grow crops owing to the wildlife menace.

Asked on the impact of the hot weather conditions, Mr Katemanyoka said crops do well at the estate adding that during their peak years, they could grow rain-fed and irrigated green mealies all year round.

“Crops do well here and we could supply green mealies twice a year with some of it being grown using natural rain and irrigation,” he said.

This year, he said, they expect to put at least 40 hectares under green beans, which is in demand in Europe.

“We used to supply the European market where our weather conditions position us among the only suppliers in the world and they look to us,” he said.

“However, the arrangement faltered after we were unable to supply around 2002 owing to the situation then. I am glad to say that there are efforts to claw back and reclaim the markets.”

Mr Katemanyoka, who is retiring, reminisced with nostalgia how the estate used to supply hotels like Caribbea Bay, Cutty Sark, the defunct Breezes Hotel and  Bumi Hills Hotel, among others.

“There was a year when we had to engage over 1000 casual workers at the peak of production. This saw people coming from all over to be employed,” he said.

“We still get around 200 seasonal workers over and above the nearly 200 permanent workers we have. During our peak period, we had to set up makeshift rooms to accommodate the great number of workers,” he said.

The banana plantation is producing around 100 tonnes per year, which are harvested three times a week and sold in Kariba to vendors and shops.

Some are taken to Karoi.

“Harvesting of bananas is done throughout the year and there is never a time when there are no supplies,” said the retiring administrator.

Planning is done meticulously through cutting down the stalk that has been harvested leaving another sucker to succeed it.

The cycle is repeated over and over again, resulting in in-congruent lines with effort to ensure every plant gets sunlight.

“The lines end up distorted because of how the suckers grow from the main plant.

‘‘Bananas need plenty of water and we have had to get it far into the lake because of low water levels,” he said.

The estate has also seen seed houses including K2 and Seed Co setting up demonstration units to develop drought resistant seeds under harsh climatic conditions.