By James Gwati-Political activist and former Vice President in the late Dumiso Dabengwa led ZAPU, Barbara Nyagomo has ventured into farming in Mashonaland West province.
Here is her success story:
I never knew kuti Mhiripiri-Chilli is a Cash Crop till My husband and I embarked on the Chilli journey.
Chilli is not a crop commonly grown by Black Indigenous farmers.
Anong the farmers settled in our farming area we became the first black farmers to explore chilli farming at a commercial level. Indeed, throughout the Banket area in Zvimba North, the growing of chilli was a marvel to the numerous A1 and A2 farmers.
Before we set out on the noble yet tasking adventure of growing chilli, we started with comprehensive research on the crop. Our research eventually led us to discover that proper and useful information is the key to every project one intends to start.
We landed at a company that is legendarily known for producing and processing Chilli Sauces in Zimbabwe and beyond.
The company does not do contract farming. However, we managed to strike a deal with them for a negotiated market assurance on the condition that we buy the seed and engage their Agrinomist when doing the Chilli growing project. Our first-hectare pack seed was not cheaper as well.
We seeded in June 2020 and germination took up to 8 weeks!
We learnt that the cold weather conditions of Winter slow down germination by at least 100% and it was not wise to seed chilli in winter.
Normally it takes 3 to 4 weeks for the Chilli to germinate.
Our variety is Africa Bird’s eye chilli.
This is a perennial crop that lasts nearly four years and can produce almost three times a year.
We chose to do chilli instead of Tobacco or castor beans Because the market is readily available in Zim, Regionally and globally. There is even more demand for Chilli and spices due to the Covid pandemic.
We transplanted the nursery in October last year and It was blazing hot. Transplanting Chilli was not an easy task. There is a need to dig 30cm holes, and half cover it with grass for mulching and manure. This is because chilli stays longer in the field and has a Taproot which will need space to grow and to find food and water.
We irrigated our hectare from October 2020 and six months down the line in March 2021, we are already harvesting our chilli.
We are expecting a bumper harvest. However, we are still learning but so far the journey has been both, a learning experience and a profit-making project.
We are also looking at Value Addition options to do with our Chilli.
I am already sampling a variety of Chilli Sauces…..
What a Chilli Journey.
My name is Barbara Nyagomo-Chakabva.
I am a Zim Diasporan Returnee.