leeroy mupariri
Ruth Butaumocho-Business Correspondent
A 350-horsepower Massey Ferguson tractor ploughed through ridges of what remained of sweet potato beds.
Black smoke spewed out, with the sound of the disking hoe, melodiously permeating through the nearby range of mountains nestled within Old Citrus Farm, which also acts as a borderline.
As the driver tenaciously guided the tractor through the long stretch that lay ahead, he wiped off his forehead, making quick calculations on the time needed to prepare 1 000 hectares of land.
Steadily guiding the rotary hoes to loosen the soil underneath, the driver momentarily reflected on how the farm was at one time a bastion of farming activities and among the best in Mashonaland West Province.
Where thousands of hectares of wheat once grew, all he could see were brown and stunted dead stalks of maize.
The lush green plants that used to beautify Chinhoyi town and its environs were last grown on Old Citrus Farm long back.
Outside farming, Old Citrus Farm was known for an avalanche of entertainment and sporting activities, where hundreds of polo lovers from Zimbabwe and the region would either jet in or drive just to partake in this high-octane sport.
The tractor driver jerked off from his deep thoughts, as the agronomist signalled him to break for lunch.
All hope is not lost, as farming operations are set to resume at the 3 500-hectare Old Citrus Farm, after business mogul Dr Philip Chiyangwa successfully ejected hundreds of illegal occupants from the farm.
Located a spitting distance away from the bustling city of Chinhoyi, Old Citrus Farm is expected to create hundreds of jobs for locals and also contribute to the national food basket, once it starts operations.
News of the resumption of farming at the Old Citrus Farm has been met with enthusiasm and buoyancy from residents of Chinhoyi, who for years watched in shock as the infrastructure and farming equipment were being stripped off by the illegal occupants, who had apportioned themselves pieces of land.
The fallow land had become a breeding ground for criminal activities, putting the lives of hundreds of lives around the Orange Grove suburb at risk.
However, all that will now be a thing of the past, as farming activities have since started in preparation for the onset of the rains in a few weeks time.
An action-oriented man, Dr Chiyangwa has since hit the ground running and is now rehabilitating the farm in preparation for the impending farming season.
With huge investments in real estate and land development, Dr Chiyangwa says farming is the future.
“I am back in farming.
“Farming is big business. I remember a few years back, I once bought the then famous Mercedes S600, which I went on to name Tsivo, from farm proceeds,” he enthused.
A visit to the farm revealed that land preparations were ongoing, with a team of
agronomists assessing what needs to be done to resume operations after a long hiatus.
In an interview, Mr Bruce Chiyangwa who is overseeing the farming project expressed optimism that the resuscitation of farming activities at Old Citrus Farm is expected to contribute immensely towards food security in Zimbabwe in line
with the Second Republic’s commitment to insulating the population against hunger.
The decision is in sync with President Mnangagwa’s aspiration to have more farmers feeding the nation and contributing to Zimbabwe’s agricultural self-reliance.
“We have put all systems on the go and we are now working on ensuring that by the time the rains fall, we would have prepared enough land to plant adequate crops.
Mr Chiyanga added that they have since prepared 600 hectares for sorghum planting and 400 hectares for maize. These crops would be planted on the onset of the rains since irrigation is yet to be installed at the farm
“We will irrigate our next crops once we have fully rehabilitated and restored our irrigation system, which was vandalised by the illegal occupants.
“Work have already started on the reconstruction of the 13 km pipeline that draws water from the nearest water point, Hunyani River to the reservoir,” he said.
He added that the team had put in place a workable plan which once effectively implemented will bolster production and increase output of various crops.
The robust and progressive farming activities at Old Citrus Farm are expected to contribute immensely to the country’s food basket while creating employment for hundreds of people in and around Chinhoyi.
“Agriculture is one avenue to consider for creating jobs, increasing production and raising productivity, a mandate which we are now seized with.
“Further opportunities exist along the value chain, from crop production to the processing of raw agricultural produce into food to the distribution of these to markets.
“We are ready to fulfil these value chains and play our part in nation-building through farming,” said Mr Chiyangwa.
However, years of infrastructural abuse by illegal settlers will come at a cost, with a minimum of US$2 million needed to revamp the infrastructure and ensure that Old Citrus Farm becomes a viable farming concern.
“Most of the infrastructure at the farm needs serious upgrade and revamping so that we are able to operate viably. For instance, I do have a quotation for pivots, which have been pegged around US$1 million.
We will need pumps, transformers, fix the airstrip which is about 600 metres and rehabilitate the polo fields.
“Of immediate concern would be the rehabilitation of our irrigation system so that we are able to continue our operations throughout the year. We have already started working on a horticulture project and that alone will also require a reliable irrigation system.”
During its zenith, Old Citrus Farm was renowned for producing various crops and citrus fruits, whose whiff would envelope parts of Chinhoyi, then less densely populated than now.
The Valencia and Navell oranges found their way to both the local and regional markets, creating downstream employment for hundreds of people in Chinhoyi and surrounding areas.
