Story by Courage Bushe
A ZVISHAVANE entrepreneur has transformed his family plot into a thriving livestock enterprise, showcasing the growing potential of commercial farming under Zimbabwe’s rural industrialisation drive.
What was once an ancestral homestead in Chirere Village has evolved into an agro-tourism hub integrating livestock and crop production through climate-smart agriculture.
Situated on six hectares, the enterprise is owned by Mr Francis Murombedzi who says the project has grown steadily through reinvestment and improved breeding.
“We started with four sows, and through hard work and reinvestment, the project has grown significantly. With our sow herd of 30 breeding females, we are expecting about 450 piglets per batch, and our pigs give birth two-and-a-half to three times a year. Let us support the President’s Vision 2030 by venturing into farming and fully utilising the land we were given,” he said.
The project aligns with Government’s rural industrialisation agenda, which seeks to stimulate economic activity, create employment and improve livelihoods in rural communities.
Zvishavane District Head in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Mrs Ellen Chivi said agriculture has evolved into a viable commercial enterprise.
“Gone are the days when agriculture was seen as a man’s job or simply for family consumption. Today, it is about empowerment and running viable enterprises. Breeding must go hand in hand with climate adaptation. Farming is becoming what it should be a business that people enter by choice, not a means of survival,” she said.
Government, working with agricultural stakeholders, is promoting the transformation of communal farming from subsistence production into structured commercial livestock enterprises, while improving livestock genetics and advancing rural industrialisation.
