Kezi college spreads wings into Harare

EBENEZER Agricultural Institute in Kezi has spread its wings to Harare where they have managed to set up three shops in the capital.

Mr Peter Cunningham of Sondelani Ranching who is the farm owner at Ebenezer Agricultural Institute said he was excited about the move.

“We are happy to have opened shops in Harare and particularly at Mbare Musika where we are taking our products to and we are optimistic about this venture,” he said.

Ebenezer Agricultural Institution is a Christian based organisation that trains youths in agriculture and other disciplines.

Mr Cunningham said people were sceptical about embarking on agriculture in the Matabeleland region arguing that it was a dry area compared to Mashonaland but he has managed to defy the odds.

Sondelani Ranching marketing manager Mr Clarence Mutangara said they have opened three new outlets in Harare after realising there was a lot of potential.

“We opened three new highgrow outlets which supply day-old chicks, chicken feed, farming inputs, drip irrigation equipment, seeds, seedlings and a whole lot more. We supply small-scale farmers and also commercial farmers in that part of the country,” he said.

Mr Mutangara said his company was the only one that supplies day-old chicks together with various end products and are based in Mbare, Mt Hampden and Workington areas.

He said the irrigation expansion at the Kezi farm was assisting the students at the institution to be able to manage small-scale farming equipment and large technologically advanced machinery.

Sondelani Ranching executive director Mrs Rene Cunningham said they have expanded their irrigation scheme to cover a bigger portion of land.

“We have expanded from 15 to 50 hectares of cropping land through an investor and this whole expansion cost us $500 000. All this land will be under irrigation,” she said.

She said they have sub-divided the 50-hectare area into one acre plots so that they demonstrate what a small-scale farmer can produce from that piece of land.

VP Phelekezela Mphoko is on record saying it was gratifying that the institution was carrying out agricultural training of the youth in rural areas showing them that there is wealth in working on the land than migrating to urban areas in search for employment.