Mutoko’s prolific farmer strikes gold

. . . expects US$200 000 from his tomato crop

Richard Muponde

THE field stretches like an emerald green sea. The sweet scent of tomato plants hangs in the warm summer air.

Every detail speaks of a crop thriving in ideal conditions, a testament to the care and expertise of the farmer.

From this one-hectare tomato field, Mutoko farmer Colonel (Retired) Godfrey Matemachani is expecting over US$200 000, as he will continuously harvest the crop for close to 10 months.

Since President Mnangagwa launched the Mutoko Fruit and Vegetable Processing Hub in the Tabudirira area, Mashonaland East Province, Col Matemachani has become one of the leading suppliers of fresh produce to the plant.

He has also helped farmers in the area to ramp up production.

“We have made it a priority to ensure that we supply tomatoes to the processing plant that was launched by the President,” said Mr Gift Chigombe, who has been Col (Rtd) Matemachani’s farm manager for the past 15 years.

“We do this to inspire other farmers in the Tabudirira area. Most of our products are then bought by leading supermarkets around the country. We concentrate on high-value crops that are of good quality.”

The tomato plants on the farm are in pristine condition.

According to Mr Chigombe, they use a high-breed seed variety that enables them to harvest the crop for 10 months.

“We have planted over 12 000 tomato plants and expect to harvest over 15 tonnes of tomatoes. We used a top-notch seed variety that grows very tall. We can harvest these plants for nine to 10 months . . . This means, conservatively, each of the 12 000 plants will produce well over 500 tomatoes.”

With tomatoes currently going for about US$1,50 per kg, the farm’s expected earnings are US$210 000 from an estimated 140 tonnes.

However, they do not produce tomatoes only.

They also cultivate yellow and red pepper, maize, potatoes, peas, vegetables, onions, carrots and green mealies. Additionally, they have pawpaw and mango trees.

On the other part of the farm is a one-hectare field of cabbages.

“This field has 40 000 heads of cabbage ready for the market,” added Mr Chigombe.

“We are selling each cabbage at US$1, which means we are expecting to get US$40 000. This is the second field, as we recently finished selling another 40 000 cabbages.”

Mutoko Royal Fruits and Veggies company general manager Mr Lloyd Marime confirmed that Col Matemachani was one of the leading suppliers to the plant.

“Col Matemachani is one of our loyal suppliers at the plant since its inception. He makes sure that he supplies us first and after he is satisfied with his contribution, that’s when he turns to other markets,” he said.

“It is now easy for us at the plant because if farmers have challenges, we easily refer them to Col (Rtd) Matemachani’s farm to see how it is done, because he is at the top of the game when it comes to farming.”

While drought is threatening most parts of the country, the maize crop on the farm is thriving. About 80 tonnes are expected from the eight hectares that were planted.

“We are expecting at least 10 tonnes of maize from each hectare. Our crop is in good condition; it did not encounter any moisture stress because we used irrigation. We also planted early and applied fertilisers and chemicals at the appropriate time,” Mr Chigombe continued.

“If everyone becomes serious with farming like Col (Rtd) Matemachani, Zimbabwe will never experience hunger. Farmers who own land need to be serious and have knowledge of farming, and that will make the country food-secure.”

Col (Rtd) Matemachani’s success story is all the more remarkable in that, unlike other resettled farmers, he did not take up arable land, as his 21-hectare area was rocky and deemed unusable by others. He then cleared the area and created 15 hectares of arable land.

The farm is powered by 12 boreholes, with a nearby river providing adequate water supply to ensure farming activities are carried out all year round.

Twenty-four people are permanently employed and live on the farm, while over 200 locals are hired periodically on a contract basis.

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