The Sunday News
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Correspondent
EMPOWERMENT lobby group, Business and Economic Empowerment Forum (BEEF) has secured a contract with an international chili importer that will see southern region farmers establishing a chili belt initiative which will contribute towards the 10 thousand tonne target.
BEEF is a Business and Economic Empowerment Forum that seeks to empower indigenous Zimbabweans in the private sector.
Chili production has been identified as a lucrative Agro business venture with good potential even for the Matabeleland region which has good land, favorable climate conditions as well as able farmers to get into chili farming.
BEEF Agricultural governor and Treasure Miss Lindiwe Mpofu confirmed the latest development.
“The Chili belt initiative is an empowerment program that will advance Matabeleland region. We have actively sort out an importer who is looking to buy from BEEF as a whole and BEEF has been given the mandate to register the farmers and get the farmers to buy the seed and get onto the contracts that will be attached to the importer who wishes to buy the chilies from Zimbabwe.
“Currently we have been given a contract that will cover 300 hectare that in total looking at the yields that you get from the chilies is 10 000 or so tonnes that we expect to export in the 2023 season. The initiative started on the 10th of this month with the registration drive for the farmers who are actively interested and will close on 15 July 2022. The planting season begins on 1 August 2022.”
She further explained that the chili varieties that are requested for by the importer include the African bird’s eye which will be organically grown hence there won’t be any need for fertilizer. The chilies will be contracted at a price of US$4 per kg.
Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Honorable Richard Moyo said this was a welcome development as cash crops came in handy in sustaining farmers’ livelihoods
“I have been told about this program and for us as Matabeleland North and government, we are so happy. Generally, farmers want cash crops so that they get money to help and sustain themselves. as such this is a good development for people to plant chilies as it has good money,” said Hon Moyo
The development comes at a time the region is on a verge to venture into diverse horticulture and animal husbandry production as it seeks to ensure food security in the country in line with NDS1.
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