War veteran excels in strawberry farming

A GURUVE war veteran and highly decorated retired Zimbabwe National Army major has excelled in strawberry farming in Mashonaland Central.

Having started two years ago with only 35 plants, Cde Fellow Chivhenge, who is an A1 plot holder at Number 22, Rushpeak Farm in Guruve, is now boasting of about 2 000 plants with a daily harvest of about 15kg.

In an interview, Cde Chivhenge called on Government to assist the new booming business in mitigating climate change, as well as supporting agronomists.

“Strawberry farming is very unique in the sense that strawberries are not commonly produced by many farmers, yet their demand is very high given their potency in combating cancer, protecting the heart, boosting memory and calming stress,” he said.

“So, apart from making money, strawberry farmers help people to live healthy. However, yield is being affected by climate change.

“Without greenhouses, strawberry output is affected by the fluctuating temperatures, especially in the winter season.

“Another factor affecting yield is the non-availability of agronomists or workshops to train upcoming strawberry farmers on best agronomic practices.

“Henceforth, Government can assist by supporting agronomists with requisite knowledge. There is also lack of an irrigation system that ensures requisite amounts of water which are fed to the crop.”