Story by Gay Matambo
CHIREDZI – THE establishment of Village Business Units (VBU), across the country has come as a huge boost towards the growth of the horticulture sector.
The VBU model is proving to be a game changer in the growth of Zimbabwe’s horticulture sector, with the Baza VBU in Chiredzi’s Ndali area transforming the lives of nearly 50 villagers since its launch in 2023.
Located in one of the country’s driest regions, the garden has flourished into a viable horticultural project, offering both climate resilience and sustainable income to the community.
“We live in a very dry area, but this VBU has changed our lives for the better. We grow vegetables and sell them. We now have a monthly income,” a beneficiary said.
“We are now able to pay school fees for our children. Life has become easier. We have even bought livestock, and we no longer go hungry,” a parent said.
From green leafy vegetables to carrots, tomatoes, and beans, the Baza VBU is generating close to US$500 monthly per household through bulk sales to hotels in Chiredzi and markets in Chipinge and Checheche.
“We have a total of 46 women and four men who benefitted from this initiative, Baza village business unit. The beneficiaries grow green leafy vegetables, onions, tomatoes, beans, carrots and cabbage. We have people coming from as far as Checheche to buy vegetables, and we also supply local communities around the garden. We are also working on increasing production,” Ward 22 Agritex Extension Officer, Ms Chenesai Chaputsira said.
Touring the unit recently, Chief Director in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Mr Leonard Munamati, said VBUs are critical to reviving Zimbabwe’s horticulture sector.
“As a country, we are moving towards reviving the horticulture sector. In 1999, it rose to around US$140 million, but it went down. We revived it from 2017 and in 2024, it had picked up to US$120 million. We are saying Village Business Units are part of the story to improve the horticulture sector,” he said.
With the horticulture sector now among the top ten foreign currency earners, the government says it will roll out additional incentives to drive smallholder participation and export-oriented growth.
