Story by Courage Bushe
AS the Second Republic continues to work towards the attainment of Vision 2030 through the Rural Industrialisation drive, a Mberengwa miner-turned-farmer, Clifton Chifanza is walking the talk after successfully setting up a massive apiculture enterprise.
Chifanza is riding on a wave of success after venturing into beekeeping and fish farming, serving as an example for other miners in the province that agriculture can be a viable and lucrative business.
His agricultural exploits have been cited as key in securing the district’s food security.
“There are massive opportunities not only to create jobs for the youths, but also to wealth creation through beekeeping and provision of related equipment and services, including modern technology, to improve apiary management in line with good beekeeping practices,” a farmer said.
“Despite all the challenges encountered by beekeepers, sustainable bee farming has tremendous benefits as it underpins the protection of bees while at the same time saving forests and providing a steady stream of income and business opportunities,” another added.
Chifanza’s enterprise plays a vital role in forest conservation, supporting agriculture, sustaining livelihoods, and ensuring food security.
“This contributes to the sustenance of floral diversity and improves crop yields in the farming sector by strongly influencing ecological relationships, ecosystem conservation, and stability, thereby promoting genetic variation in the plant community. Therefore, as beekeepers, we are also protecting the environment because beekeeping depends on good water sources and ample forage for pollen.”
Research indicates that in Zimbabwe and most other African countries, the full potential of beekeeping remains largely untapped.
