The Sunday News
Farming Reporters
UNITED Refineries (UR) has entered into an agreement with a number of financial institutions to assist it in financing soya bean farmers in Matabeleland North province.UR chief executive officer Mr Busisa Moyo said 1 500 hectares in Matabeleland North would be put under the company’s soya beans contract farming programme.
He said the cooking oil and soap manufacturer had also entered into an agreement with an agricultural inputs supplier, Food Security Group (FSG), to avail inputs at a subsidised price.
“We have managed to facilitate loan facilities for the farmers that will embark on soya bean farming with three micro finance institutions namely Technosave, Untu Holdings Limited and Quest Finance Services.
“We have also engaged FSG who will provide hectare input baskets at $900. This basket includes all the inputs necessary for the cropping of soya beans. So far we have 1 500 hectares to be put under the crop,” Mr Moyo said.
The soya bean seeds supplied by FSG are reported to be high yielding with the potential to produce a minimum yield of 2,5 tonnes per hectare.
He said the company was working closely with the Department of Agricultural Technical and Extension Services which would be in charge of mobilising farmers and day to day technique advisory duties to ensure maximum yields.
“The 1 500 hectares that has been promised by the farmers won’t be enough as it only translates to 3 000 tonnes while we need about 6 000 tonnes per month. We are, therefore, looking forward to growing this programme.
“We have already been given access to Agricultural and Rural Development Authority estates and we are going to engage Joint-Venture partnerships to produce,” Mr Moyo said.
The soya bean contract farming programme is part of the Bulawayo headquartered firm’s move to avert transport costs as well to reduce its import bill.
The company procures its soya beans from the Mashonaland region mostly in Mazowe and Chinhoyi and occasionally imports from neighbouring countries in the event of adverse shortages.
However, some farmers said they had met a number of challenges in their bid to sell soya beans to the United Refineries over the years.
“We have been cropping soya beans for some time in (Umguza Lot) this area leaving it to rot as we failed to get a market for it. We are actually surprised that United Refineries were sourcing it as far as Mashonaland when we can produce it here.
“Some of our members were even turned away for purportedly bringing small quantities while some were told that they brought soya beans which was beyond the required grade,” said a member of Umguza Farmers Association, Mr Anthony Dube.
Addressing Umguza Lot farmers recently, a UR representative, Mr Innocent Sigwadi, said the company would commit itself to purchasing all the soya beans cropped under its programme through signing contracts with the farmers to that effect.
“We are assuring every farmer that we will buy all the soya beans through ensuring that each one of them signs a letter of guarantee. We have big silos at our factory which have the capacity to take up to 8 000 tonnes so we will take any quantities and store them. We will also make prompt payments upon delivery,” he said.
