Gokwe Communal Farmers Urged To Experiment with Pfumvudza and Practice Intercroping 

With the beginning of the cropping season, My Gokwe Media had a chat with Mr Felix Mungwena to check on the progress at the Gokwe Manoti Pfumvudza Scheme. This would help to give the farmers a picture and reflections on the success of the scheme in general. Mr Mungwena, is a Agtritex Extension Officer (AEO), Selima Gadza area Chief Mkoka and at the same time managed the Pfumvudza Scheme in the area.

“The irrigation system is situated 109 km south west of Gokwe Centre just after Manoti Gadza village chief Mkoka, Owner is Nomore Nyandoro a.k.a Nyamasvisva or owner of Nyamasvisva transport in Gokwe.”

It’s a new project that began recently but have grown large in size, firm and operations. It started paLockdown ipapa (during the lockdown),” he said.

The plot is 2ha main crops grown are Maize, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, Sweet melon 96 plants.

Though it is a new project and one of its kind in Gokwe, they managed to overcome challenges and register success basing on Mr Mungwena’s agricultural charisma.

“The maize field plot is on tasselling (kubuda rurebvu) stage 2weeks from now will be through while the 2 remaining blocks are at late vegetative stage we also have watermelons 97 planting stations with 2 plants per station also at early stage the 2 blocks of maize were intercropped with beans Nua 45 at a spacing of 30cm in row we expect with more funding to lay more blocks in future so that we cover at least 2 hectares of drip irrigation,” he said.

He also went on to encourage farmers to have confidence on Pfumvudza and explained on the advantages of intercropping.

“Everyone is doing pfumvudza concept since it was launched by the President.  Intercropping has advantages of using a small portion of land farming 2 crops and controlling pests and disease management,” he wrote.

He also emphasized on the success and need to intercrop maize with beans.  He also emphasized on need to install drip irrigation since water is a scarce resource in Gokwe.

“Success is too obvious and certain, my advice to fellow farmers is adopting the Pfumvudza concept especially under drip irrigation its 100% profit no ways. Especially intercropping maize with sugar beans helps a lot on mulching,” he wrote.

 Thus, with the beginning of the farming season, farmers are free to visit Manoti’s Gadze Village and have a practical view of what Pfumvudza is or have a personal chat with Mr Felix Mngwena, he is ready to educate and share.

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