Rumbidzayi Zinyuke

Senior Reporter

Over the past few decades, women have taken centre stage in farming and are now sustaining their families and communities through farming.

Zimbabwe on Monday joined the world to celebrate International Women’s Day, and women in the agriculture sector deserve special mention of how resilience has paid off.

Despite the challenges many farmers have faced, many women are still taking agriculture seriously and are doing very well.

Mrs Rosemary Marerwa of sub division plot 5, Bounce Green farm in Mazoe has a thriving 25 -hectare piece of land which has been more lucrative than the job she held for more than 10 years.

“Women should venture into farming as a business because it pays well and allows them to sustain their families.  In 2002 I realised that I was better off leaving my job in Harare to take up farming full time and I have not regretted it. I can take care of my family and also assist orphans in the community by paying school fees for them and it is satisfying to be able to do that using proceeds from farming,” she said.

Mrs Evelyn Murandu also said farming was a business venture that more women should take up. “Farming is good because not only does your family have enough food, the money is good. I know my groundnuts will bring me a lot of money to take care of my grandchildren. Farming is a business and it will always have a ready market,” she said.

Mrs Mimi Nherera applies top dressing fertiliser to a flourishing sunflower crop at Plot 5 of Makalanga Farm in Mazowe on International Women’s Day

The biggest challenge they have faced has been labour as the Mazowe area is mainly dominated by gold mining activities.

But this has also been a blessing in disguise as it has meant the women farmers have an opportunity to empower other women who provide labour in their fields.

For Mrs Mimi Nherera the loss of 22 hectares of her maize crop to a fire in 2019 almost destroyed her hope in taking farming as a serious business venture.

But despite the setback, she managed to regroup and has a good crop of sugar beans at her plot in Makalanga Farm in Mazoe.

For her, giving up was not an option, she had to rise from the challenge because farming is part of her life.

“As farmers, we meet many challenges, some of them unavoidable. Before the fire, I used to do very well here with my horticulture produce. I even took all my children through school using proceeds from farming. The most important thing is to face the challenges and rise above them. I am getting back on my feet and my crop is starting to look good,” she said.

Mrs Nherera said the challenges they face in farming should not deter any woman from achieving the best.