Kenneth Chindomu (34) from Munaka village in ward 10, Chimanimani under chief Chikukwa is an agroecology farmer who is excelling in pig rearing.
Kenneth says pig rearing is a lucrative venture that has helped him generate income to support his family of five. He says the project has enabled him to send two of his children to boarding school as well as take care of his late sister’s 3 children.
“When I started the project, I realised that it was viable and that it was something that I could manage easily. I decided to expand the project by increasing the number of pigs that I was rearing. My target was to reach 20 within two years and I exceeded the target by five pigs. Right now, l am managing 32 pigs only but my wish is to reach a target of at least 50,” says Kenneth.
Kenneth says he started the project after attending a workshop organised by PELUM Zimbabwe member, Chikukwa Ecological Land Use Community Trust (CELUCT) in 2017 where small scale farmers were trained on agroecology practices.
After learning about agroecology, Kenneth then decided to embark on a pig rearing project. He says CELUCT assured him that they would support him to implement the project. From the time that he started the project, Kenneth says CELUCT has been very supportive.
“CELUCT has been helpful especially during the initial stages of this project. They helped me with materials like fence and poles for constructing the pigsties. They also helped me with the knowledge on how to manage this project and marketing the pigs. I am now supplying pigs to diverse markets, especially during the Christmas and New Year's holidays,” says Kenneth.
“Projects like piggery among other agroecology projects are benefiting the community as a whole. So, it is our duty as CELUCT to help these farmers in whatever way so that their projects are successful in the long run,” adds Samuel Chimbarara (39) a project officer at CELUCT.
Maxwell Sibiya, (32) an agricultural technical extension (AGRITEX) officer working in Chikukwa community says he was working with organisations like CELUCT to increase smallholder farmers’ farming skills.
“There are a lot of projects being done here and I am glad that most of the farmers are approaching us asking for help. So, I want to encourage every small-scale farmer to approach us so that we provide technical support,” he says.
Chief Percy Chikukwa (64), of the Chikukwa Community says CELUCT has helped smallholder farmers in his community and this has contributed to food security.
“Agroecology projects are benefiting us as a community. People are able to generate income to enable them to support their families,” says Chief Chikukwa.