Lawrence Chitumba Mash Central Bureau
Government has pledged to allocate a plot to Bindura farmer Mrs Tracy Shani who won a 45 horsepower tractor after coming first in tobacco small holder farmers during the Zimbabwe Agriculture Show in 2018.

A visibly elated Mrs Shani, who is leasing Chinhenga Farm in Matepetepa, received her tractor in Bindura this week.

Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs Minister Monica Mavhunga, who was represented by the province’s Provincial Development coordinator Mr Cosmas Chiringa at the handover, said Mrs Shani had done the province and the country at large proud and promised to ensure that she gets land.

She said the Government through the new dispensation wanted farmers to enhance their farming activities so that they contribute meaningfully to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

Mrs Shani said the tractor will be handy in her plans to increase her farming activities since she is not only into tobacco production but also into maize.

Last year she harvested more than 30 tonnes of maize

She said she was looking forward to getting land so that she can increase her production and contribution to growing the country’s economy since tobacco is one of the country’s major foreign currency earners.

Mrs Shani said the secret to good farming is listening to Agritex extension officers.

“If you follow what they say you are assured to get good yields,” she said.

“I would also want to thank the company that is providing me with the agriculture inputs.”

The tractor is the icing on the cake for her farming career spanning over nine years. She started tobacco farming with her son in 2012 after a friend encouraged her and in 2017 the partnership was broken and she soldiered ahead.

She went on to display her tobacco at the ZAS in the same year and she won a motor bike and a water bowser.

It was during that same year that Government first promised to allocate her land during a field day at her rented plot.

In 2018 Mrs Shani got a big boost after the 5 tonnes of tobacco she produced on two and half hectares did well at the floors with the proceeds surpassing her expectations.

Her first grade fetched $4,99 per kg, second grade $ 3,50 per kg while the last grade fetched $2,50 per kg.

She took her crop to the 2019 ZAS again and she landed the first prize in the small holder farmers’ category.

TIMB regional manager Mr Judas Chitsike urged tobacco farmers to grow good quality tobacco so that it can earn the country the much needed foreign currency.