Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
A CO-OPERATIVE of 97 farmers at Mushandike Irrigation Scheme in Masvingo has embarked on a lucrative paprika project with a capacity to supply up to 27 tonnes of the crop to the market from a one hectare portion.

Project coordinator, Thomson Tomu said the co-operative had since sealed a supply deal with a spice making firm, Chili Pepper, based in Harare.

He said the company had agreed to provide them with inputs and market for the produce.

Tomu said the project had attracted a lot of interest since its inception last year from farmers with more members joining the scheme.

He said the Harare company was also providing transport for collecting the crop to the nearby milling plant located within the irrigation scheme.

“There is a lucrative market for paprika. We’re into contract farming and given inputs by a company that also provides transport and does the milling of the delivered crop for us,” said Tom.

“We get our money on the spot after supplying them with our products and we sell our paprika in processed form.”

Given the success of the project, Tomu said chances were high the cooperative would acquire more land for cropping.

“The company is demanding more than what we’re supplying. As it is the market is lucrative but we’re presently unable to meet their demand and it’s something we’re working on.

“We’re planning to increase the size of land utilised. We sell our product for $0.50 per kilogramme and farmers have supplied an average of $1,200 kg per individual this season only,” Tomu added.

“Everyone in this project is able to lead a better life and pay electricity as well as water bills every month while remaining with adequate basics, especially food.”

He said the project has attracted other companies who have also engaged them in contract wheat farming thus creating employment for rural people.

Tomu said another Harare-based company, Northern Farming Company has so far engaged about 47 farmers for winter wheat farming and provided them with almost every input.

“Our aim is to resuscitate activities at Mushandike to levels in the early 1980s where the scheme was the bread basket of Masvingo province. For winter wheat farming, we’ll provide the province and beyond with adequate produce and we also challenge more companies to keep on supporting us in the same way,” he added.