Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
DEEP in the thickest end of Nkayi District in Matabeleland North lies a little known area, Sembewule, which has silently developed itself into a horticulture greenbelt.

Sembewule falls under Chief Madliwa and is at the border between Matabeleland North and Midlands provinces where areas under Gokwe (Cheziya Rural District Council), Kwekwe (Zibagwe Rural District Council) and Nkayi Rural District Council converge.

Known for nothing more than peasant farming, Sembewule lies on the western side with Chemagora to the east and Raja to the west.

Despite the provincial and district boundaries, villagers live in harmony as they share locally available resources, labour and markets.

Villagers in Sembewule, Nkayi, have for the past eight years been involved in growing of flowers whose seeds are shipped to Holland where there is a ready market.

In Holland, the flower seeds are also used in plantations where farmers grow large tracks of a variety of fresh flowers used for various occasions, as well as to make lotions, medicines, perfumes and bath soaps, some of which are probably imported into Zimbabwe.

There are more than 200 farmers now in Sembewule whose livelihood is dependant on flower production with a potential to transform Nkayi, usually given the moniker komnyam’ubambile because of lack of development.

The district also grows cotton, sunflower as the major cash crops while maize, millet, groundnuts, roundnuts and sorghum growing is also significant.

Many have abandoned the traditional crops to concentrate on flower production.

Last week the Agricultural Extension Services department held a field day at one of the flower farmers’ homesteads in Mateme area while another one will be hosted at Mr Wilson Mlotshwa and wife Ms Sithembile Thwala’s homestead in Masunduza Village, Sembewule.

Nkayi District Agritex officer Mr Kurwakumire Mangwiro said flowers are grown in Nkayi’s wards One and Two.

“So far we have two wards where they are growing flowers for seed which is exported to Holland where they produce flowers for sale from the seeds here in Nkayi. This is the sixth year of effective growing of flowers in Nkayi and each farmer plants an average 0,25ha. If you see them being this consistent it means it’s viable,” said Mr Mangwiro.

He said there are 22 groups of 10 people each and each farmer is expecting to harvest between three and four 50kg bags.

Mr Mangwiro said while growing flowers is laborious like any other crop production, the greatest labour is mainly needed on harvesting.

He said an organisation called Amaruva Lana based in Kadoma supplies the farmers with seeds and is the one that collects the produce and prepares it for shipping to Holland via Durban in South Africa.

Land preparation mainly involves clearing bushes, ploughing and preparation of rows before planting takes place and it is rain fed irrigation.

When the flowers’ petals start drying up, the crop is harvested by plucking off the head the same way sunflower or millet is harvested.

It is spread on dry and hard area especially flat rocks where it is left to dry before the seeds are separated from the residues.

The produce is taken to Kadoma where it is weighed and packed before being taken to Ruwa in Harare for further handling before transportation to Durban where it is shipped to Holland.

In an interview yesterday, Ms Thwala said her family planted two varieties known as Zinia (Pumula mix) and Cosmos.

She said she expects to harvest about 200kg from one and half hectares.

“We have been growing flowers for about eight years and this year we expect a good harvest from close to two hectares as the flowers grew to neck level and are blooming. We used to grow maize and sunflower and at some point tried cotton but we have since switched to flowers and this has been our source of livelihood and paid school fees for two of my children and three nephews and nieces,” she said.

Ms Thwala said she and her husband learnt how to grow flowers from a local farmer on neighbouring Kwekwe side who was the first to grow the crop.

This year the farmer didn’t plant flowers, said Ms Thwala.

Farmers are paid between US$2,80 and US$4,50 per kilogramme depending on the grade and variety, and the money is paid once the consignment reaches Holland, said Ms Thwala.

She said flower residues are rich in soil nutrients and they practice crop rotation between flowers and maize.

Meanwhile, Ms Thwala appealed to authorities to help establish mobile depots for crops such as maize, groundnuts and roundnuts in their area as farmers are swindled by side buyers because they struggle to travel to the nearest town to sell their produce.— @ncubeleon