Online Reporter
Presidential Advisor Paul Tungwarara has encouraged Zimbabweans to engage with President Mnangagwa as a source of knowledge and inspiration rather than seeking personal favors.
Tungwarara, who has built a thriving farm in Chegutu, revealed that he has visited the President’s farm multiple times, not for handouts but to observe and implement the successful agricultural practices being applied there.
“I visited President Mnangagwa’s farm less than five times, and all I did there was observe and learn how he is doing it. I didn’t meet him to beg for favors or seek social talk; I went there to learn,” Tungwarara stated.
Tungwarara’s farm has become a shining example of integrated agricultural production, incorporating maize cultivation, fish farming, poultry rearing, and animal husbandry. Inspired by what he witnessed at the President’s Precabe farm, he adopted climate-resilient farming techniques to boost productivity while ensuring sustainability.
“When I went to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s farm at Precabe, I was motivated and told myself that I should copy and paste what he was doing at his farm. It is what motivated me,” he explained.
Through the implementation of modern irrigation systems, his maize crops yield high outputs that not only sustain his operations but also supply the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), contributing to national food security. The farm’s conservation agriculture methods, such as minimal tillage and crop rotation, help maintain soil fertility and reduce environmental degradation.
Tungwarara has also expanded into fish farming. Using recirculating water systems, his farm minimizes waste and ensures efficient resource use while providing high-quality fish for the local market.
He believes that increasing fish production is key to combating malnutrition, particularly in rural communities where protein sources are scarce.
His poultry farm, which raises hundreds of free-range chickens, follows modern housing and feeding techniques to maximize productivity while ensuring high standards of animal welfare. The eggs and meat produced on the farm are supplied to local markets, contributing to Zimbabwe’s growing self-sufficiency in poultry production.
Tungwarara emphasized that Zimbabweans should embrace hard work and innovative agricultural strategies rather than expecting government assistance for success.
“We must learn to be self-sufficient. If I had waited for handouts, I would not be where I am today. I took the initiative to learn from the President’s farming practices and applied them to my own operations,” he said.
