ZCDC Donates Farmers Start-Up Seed Packs

By Clayton Masekesa

MARANGE – Diamond mining giant the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) (Pvt) Ltd has donated sorghum seeds to the Arda Transau community to assist with start-up sorghum seed for the Delta Corporation market project.

ZCDC has engaged the Arda Transau community and the Department of Crops & Livestock production to partner Delta Corporation for a sorghum production project, which will be used in its production.

A total of 50 Arda Transau farmers have entered a contract with Delta for the sorghum production project that will see the farmers getting paid by Delta using the current market rates.

ZCDC Corporate Services and Communications Executive Sugar Chagonda told Post On Sunday that, the diamond company has already assisted the farmers on the purchase of start-up sorghum seed.

“We assisted the farmers with the sorghum seed as most of the farmers did not have income to purchase start-up seed for the project, hence, threatening the project to be implemented in the area,” said Chagonda.

The participating farmers will have an opportunity to get benefits like input support and market from the company in future seasons.

“This will also ensure farmers income sources are enhanced and hence improving their income security.

Sorghum is a drought tolerant crop and easy to manage, the success rate of production is high,” he said.

“The community will directly implement the project in their fields. Each farmer is expected to produce one hectare of sorghum. The expected yields are around four tonnes per hectare,” explained Chagonda.

The Department of Crop and Livestock and a selected community committee are supervising other project.

“The Department of Crop and Livestock and a selected community committee will supervise such activities like registration of farmers (meet Delta standards), contract signing, input distribution, extension and monitoring support among others.” he added

Delta Corporation will also follow up with production technical backstopping and organising farmers for delivery of produce to the market.

ZCDC will ensure registered farmers in the project get and sign for the input purchased. The Department of Crops & Livestock will distribute inputs and accounting while the production contract will be between the community and Delta Corporation.

He told this publication that agriculture production remains a key source of livelihood for rural communities in Zimbabwe.