THE Government and private players in the agriculture sector have established a massive citrus production project in Mwenezi district as part of efforts to produce for the export market.
Established last year, Makata Citrus Estate has so far managed to plant valencia orange trees on a 250 hectare piece of land with plans on course to plant more trees on 200 hectares by the end of this year.
The project, which will see the estate producing two million cartons of oranges per day in the next five years, is aimed at producing quality oranges for export to countries that include China, United States of America, Singapore and Russia.
To date, 130 locals have been employed at the estate with more than one thousand more expected to be employed when production is in motion.
“We have cleared land for 400 hectares. 250 hectares with the oranges. By the end of the year, we should be having 400 hectares. The objective about this project is we’re expecting the yield to be around 80 and above tonnes per hectare. All the labour we have got here is local and we have trained all these people from this local community and we still need to have some more people as we expand the project,” said Makata citrus farm production manager, Mr Gift Gwararaoma.
After a tour of the estate, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka said the project is in line with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s call for agricultural productivity.
“Here we have seen quite a lot of work that has gone through already and that they aim on this 950 hectare farm. They will eventually plant 550 hectares or so, of oranges Valencia and the growth is phenomenal. The project is barely two years and so far they have done exceedingly well. We know that they’re 56 farmers around here that have been given land by the government on some 4000 hectares. One of the things that we would like them to do is to be able to enter into fruitful joint ventures for the indigenous land because Manyuchi dam can irrigate an additional 3000 hectares. They’re also planning to put a pack shade from January onwards so that this would be a centre for production of signature Valencia and government would like to facilitate this development into a special economic zone,” he said.
The successful citrus project which is utilising water from Manyuchi dam for irrigation is a clear testament arid areas such as Mwenezi district can be turned into greenbelts.
“As Masvingo Province agriculture, excellence is one of the economic key factors we are looking forward to contributing immensely to the upper middle income economy by 2030, a national vision by His Excellency. So Masvingo constitutes to more than 50% of the national dammed water and we are targeting plus or minus 80 000 hectares by 2030, to be developed under irrigation schemes,” said Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Chadzamira.
Meanwhile, the government and seven private players in the agriculture sector are in the process of developing 19 000 hectares in Nuanetsi Ranch, Masvingo Province for citrus and sugarcane production.
