Good times beckon for Arda Jotsholo

24 Jan, 2016 - 00:01 0 Views
Good times beckon for Arda Jotsholo Jotsholo Agriculture Rural Development Authority (Arda)’s Estate Manager Mr Ndodana Ncube shows the infield reservoir under construction that will supply the 240-hectare estate farm with water at Jotsholo in Lupane District on Thursday

The Sunday News

Jotsholo Agriculture Rural Development Authority (Arda)’s Estate Manager Mr Ndodana Ncube shows the infield reservoir under construction that will supply the 240-hectare estate farm with water at Jotsholo in Lupane District on Thursday

Jotsholo Agriculture Rural Development Authority (Arda)’s Estate Manager Mr Ndodana Ncube shows the infield reservoir under construction that will supply the 240-hectare estate farm with water at Jotsholo in Lupane District on Thursday

Dumisani Nsingo, Farming Reporter
AGRICULTURAL and Rural Development Authority (Arda) has engaged a new investor to partner it at its estate in Jotsholo in Lupane District, Matabeleland North Province.

Arda severed ties with its Chinese partner, Sinotech Zimbabwe last year after the two parties failed to agree on certain terms pertaining to the agreement. Sinotex Zimbabwe had cropped 103 hectares of cotton and managed to harvest 58 tonnes.

Arda board chairman, Mr Basil Nyabadza confirmed the engaging of a new partner but was not at liberty to divulge its name.

However, Sunday Business was reliably informed that the new investor was Trek Petroleum trading as Jopa Investments.

“The pulling out of the Chinese investor is not a drawback at all because the new investor is doing more towards food security for the people. The investor has already installed centre pivots for irrigation.

“However, siltation of the supply dam (Arda Jotsholo-Shangani weir) has always been a problem there but that will be looked into. I can’t divulge the name of our new partner at the moment because we are finalising some issues, for instance they haven’t paid all their fees,” said Mr Nyabadza.

The new partner has already installed six centre pivots at the 240 hectare section farming which makes up for the 519 hectares of the total cropping area at the estate. A visit at Arda Jotsholo by Sunday Business last Wednesday showed signs that good old times were beckoning at the estate.

Prospects of improved yields are high as realised by the improved cropping standards on soil management and the newly introduced irrigation system being implemented by the new investor.

At its peak the agricultural project used to produce five to six tonnes of maize per hectare and four tonnes of wheat per hectare but the tonnage realised from the production of both cereals started deteriorating from 2012 to about two tonnes per hectare. Arda also used to crop, process and package rice at its state-of-the-art plant at the estate from the 1990s until 2006.

The plant’s driers stopped functioning in 2004 while the polishing equipment ceased two years later.

“We started doing land preparation during the first week of December and ideally we wanted to commence summer maize cropping thereafter but failure by Zesa (Holdings) to expedite the repairing of the transformer disrupted our plans,” said Arda Jotsholo manager, Mr Ndodana Ncube.

The new investor also applied gypsum and lime to neutralise the soil’s acidic levels, repaired the two 100 horse power electric pumps stationed at the water source and enacted an electric fence around the 240 hectare field.

“Though the field is 240 hectares, the circular movement of the centre pivots will mean 40 hectares will be discarded when we put the remaining two centre pivots that will enable us to crop 200 hectares. We are being delayed to install the remaining centre pivots because we are waiting for Zesa to remove a power line which cuts through part of the field.

“We are also about to complete enacting an electric fence around the field to guard against animals and theft of produce by unscrupulous individuals. So far we have covered about five kilometres and we are left with about two kilometres to cover the whole circumference,” said Mr Ncube.

Prior to the installation of centre pivots, the estate had been using the flood irrigation system to irrigate its crop since its inception.

“Centre pivots are water conservative, through this irrigation system one can apply according to the crop’s demand. It uses about 7 000 litres of water per hectare for the crop, from planting to maturity while the flood systems use 20 000 to 25 000 litres per hectare,” Mr Ncube said.

He said preparations for the cropping of the winter wheat crop would begin in April with installation of centre pivots and an electric fence on the remaining 270 hectare field, which is close to the authority’s administration offices.

“Upon increased maize production we are looking at value addition as enshrined in the Zim Asset through producing maize meal and stock feed as we anticipate opening a milling plant at Jotsholo centre.

“The intention will be to explore markets such as Hwange, Binga, Lupane and Victoria Falls with products that will be having our own brand. Of course ours will be cheaper than that of our competitors and that will definitely give us an edge over our competitors,” Mr Ncube said.

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