Sherwood farming area on the outskirts of Kwekwe was owned by a few white farmers before Government implemented the land reform programme but now has 45 A2 farmers, among them, the country’s first citizen, President Mnangagwa.
At the first family’s Precabe Farm, a wonderful farming
story has been unfolding for years.
Since 2008 to this day, President Mnangagwa has been
slaughtering two beasts a week to feed workers.
There are 2 000 cattle, over 400 goats as well as fish and
chickens at the farm.
Planting of winter wheat on 600 hectares has been
completed.
There is also horticulture. Other crops include maize that
is being harvested and soya beans.
The farm sends over 4 000 tonnes of maize to the GMB every
year and is highly mechanised.
President Mnangagwa takes time from his busy schedule to
till the land and contribute to the national food basket.
President Mnangagwa now produces about 10 times what the
former farmer was producing.
The success of the new farmers has therefore debunked
myths.
Last week President Mnangagwa hosted his Mozambican
counterpart, President Filipe Nyusi at Precabe Farm.
At 12 mid-day The Head of State and Government, looking
very relaxed in the farming environment, came out of his farm office and soon
afterwards President Nyusi’s motorcade arrived.
President Mnangagwa then welcomed his guest who was wearing
a navy blue designer suit and after pleasantries, the two leaders went into a
closed-door meeting.
President Nyusi had earlier landed at the Josiah Tungamirai Air Force Base in Gweru before making a 76km road trip to Precabe Farm. He was accompanied by Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Larry Mavima and members of his delegation.
After a briefing with President Mnangagwa, the Mozambican
President was taken on a tour of the 600-hectare farm.
Now putting on sunhats to protect themselves from the
scorching heat, the two leaders’ first port of call was the germinating winter
wheat crop.
President Nyusi took time to feel the texture of the
germinating crop and in the process making his hands dirty.
A novelty at the farm is the Ankole breed which is popular
in East Africa which President Nyusi had an opportunity to see at close range.
The Ankole is a modern American breed of cattle. It derives
from the Ankole group of Sanga cattle breeds of east and central Africa. It is
characterised by very large horns.
President Mnangagwa also showed his counterpart some of the
highly mechanised equipment that is used at the farm which include combine
harvesters, centre pivots and sprayers.
The two leaders exchanged notes as they watched the
chemical sprays at work.
Some of President Mnangagwa’s Ankole breed of cattle at his
Precabe Farm in Kwekwe. — Pictures: Believe Nyakudjara
President Nyusi was later taken to the pond where President
Mnangagwa is practicing fish farming and the Mozambican President and his
delegation took time to feed the fish.
In a brief interview at the pond, President Nyusi who was
excited to be at the farm and in the country at large, described President
Mnangagwa as a leader who leads by example.
“He is leading by example by the way he is doing things.
Sometimes you say let’s grow maize, soya, wheat and you can talk to people but
if you don’t know what you are talking about it’s not easy to motivate them. What my brother is doing is
good because he is leading by example,” said President Nyusi.
From Precabe Farm, President Nyusi drove to Gweru before
flying to Harare where he was expected to fly back to Maputo.
President Nyusi was in the country for a three-day State
visit that is set to strengthen relations between the two sister Republics.
During his visit, President Nyusi presided over the
groundbreaking ceremony of the Samora Machel Monument at the Liberation City
being built in Harare.
President Nyusi, who made history by being the first Head
of State to visit the giant Museum of African Liberation project, received an
acre of land and was honoured to break the ground for the construction of the
monument in honour of Mozambican founding President, the late Cde Samora
Machel.
President Nyusi said the museum was the pride of the whole
of Africa and applauded the country for hosting such an important continental
facility. Herald
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