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Bulawayo Bureau

Women in Nkayi District, Matabeleland North have embraced Agric4She, a multi-faceted programme championed by the First Lady, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa.

The initiative dovetails well with Vision 2030, in which an increase in agriculture production and productivity, especially by smallholders to ensure food and nutrition security and enhanced income, is crucial.

In Nkayi District, Mrs Kholo Khumalo of Ndleko village in the Gonye Area on Saturday showcased some of the initiatives that she is doing under Agric4She that include poultry, cattle fattening, goats and rabbits and horticulture.

In a speech read on behalf of the First Lady who was represented at by Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo, she said it was important for women to partake in agriculture.

“I am delighted to see the work that you have started of rearing animals which will transform your lives. Zimbabwe is well known for its agriculture and livestock, it is a sector that is positively contributing to the growth of the economy.

“It is important for women to take part in agriculture and the importance of women in agriculture should not be taken for granted it would be welcomed by society and be grateful of it,” she said.

Dr Mnangagwa said it was important to fulfil the food security agenda in line with President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030.

She said there was need for strong and active participation of women in farming and livestock production as under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) blueprint’s Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy, the agriculture sector requires women to be leading in the forefront in farming and livestock production.

“Last year, we managed to give fertiliser, seed and chemicals to beneficiaries under Pfumvudza4She. These women include the elderly, middle-aged, orphans, those with disabilities, and those that had not received enough from the Presidential Input Scheme.

“I plead with you to take good care of your crops and livestock, do weed management, put chemicals and fertilisers on top well so as to protect your crops and have a bumper harvest.

“I would like to thank all the women for cropping anticipating a bumper harvest and good livestock production. The Ministry of Agriculture has setup the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy launched in August 2020, this aims to strengthen and uplift the initiatives in the agriculture sector as we work towards Vision 2030 as expounded by the President.”

Minister of State and Devolution for Matabeleland North Richard Moyo who was representing First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa hands over trees under the Trees4SHE programme and farming inputs to women in Nkayi. – Pictures: Dennis Mudzamiri

Dr Mnangagwa said the Government has put in place measures to end hunger in Zimbabwe and women should participate in Agric4She programmes that include Pfumvudza4She, Livestock4She, Fisheries4She, Horticulture4She, Mechanisation4She and NEAPS4She.

She encouraged women to rear dairy cows which when they get enough milk can be able to do value addition to make cheese, margarine, yogurt and other various products that can be made from milk.

The First Lady added: “Here in Matabeleland North l encourage you to plant traditional grains seeds because they are drought-tolerant and they produce high yielding crops even when there is less rainfall. These seeds include sorghum, pearl millet, beans, groundnuts, sunflower.”

“I would be delighted if you grew fodder crops such as velvet beans, lablab and sun hemp. These seeds supplement feed during drought when there will be less grazing grass. When livestock get enough feed it reduces the risk of diseases and we get high and good meat grades.”

Amai Mnangagwa encouraged Matabeleland North women especially from Nkayi to do horticulture of vegetables that they could dry or flowers as well as mushrooms. She encouraged them to do fruit trees by planting orchards with wild and home-grown fruits such as baobab, snot apple, amarula, monkey orange, oranges, mangoes.

“We can be able to make juices, jam or traditional Southern African non-alcoholic drink among others from the fruits. We can even dry them so that we can eat them during the dry season,” she said.

She said it had been noted that 150 percent from 100 percent of women were doing Horticulture4She.

Dr Mnangagwa said they should continue to strengthen and build the country, stating that nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo.

Mrs Khumalo said she; “In poultry l do road runner chickens, sasso broiler chickens and guinea fowls. We can do up 300 road runners then we sell them and keep on repeating the cycle, we do the same for sasso broilers. We also teach the youth on poultry management,” she said

In terms of horticulture, she said she does cabbages, tomatoes, green pepper, sugar beans and beetroot.

Taking agriculture as one of her income generation source, Mrs Khumalo said she recently sold over 2 000 heads of cabbages at US$1 each for the big ones and US$1 for two for the small ones, while from her over 500 plants of tomatoes she got about US$1 000 from them, as well as selling green mealies.

Among other key projects, she said she had rabbits, over 50 goats, about 45 sheep and 60 cows that she was pen fattening.

“In terms of the cattle we buy cows then we do pen fattening and when we get to a certain number we sale some of them so that we boost others projects,” said Mrs Khumalo.

“The First Lady’s Agric4She programme has been eye opening for us as women, we are busy with various projects and have no time to be gossiping but instead uplifting each other. As women we are actively participating in things that were being viewed as being for men only. We have income generation projects and are able to support our families.”

Ms Sindile Sibanda, a farmer from Ward 20 said as women they were grateful to the First Lady for the Agric4She programme.

“As women from Nkayi we are very grateful for this programme because it is transforming our lives. We are able to send children to school and generate extra income,” said Ms Sibanda.

She said as women they managed to get inputs such as seed, fertiliser and chemicals, hence they were optimistic of good yields to feed their families and have surplus.

In terms of projects under Agric4She Ms Sibanda said the programme has assisted them develop various projects from poultry, goats, sheep and cattle among others.

“We are in groups as women and there is a bull that we rotate amongst ourselves for our cattle.

“We also do the same for goats we have boar goats which we rotate among ourselves. These projects are supporting women grow to be business mind oriented, while also empowering them to be independent.”

Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development, Dr Sithembiso Nyoni who is also the Nkayi North Legislator said the First Lady’s programme is a great initiative.

“For a person to succeed they have to learn from others. Let us learn from what we saw today from the Khumalo homestead and from what we are being taught under Agric4She,” said the Minister.

“I have also learnt how to do poultry, to rear goats, sheep and cattle. The Khumalo homestead would not have managed to do it on their own without the knowledge from extension officers who have taught us to do things properly.

“We are grateful to what the First Lady has done for us, to bring us together so that we can see the success of Nkayi women. Her wish is for the active participation of women. She is supporting women through Agric4She which encompasses everything for the homestead to succeed,” added Minister Nyoni.

In his vote of thanks, Chief Sikhobokhobo said the First Lady’s initiative has greatly improved the livelihoods of Nkayi women.