Horticulture project at Munashe bears fruit

MUNASHE Private High School launched its horticulture project in 2020 to ensure self-sustenance and income generation at the institution.

The project — which is under the supervision of our Agriculture teacher, Ms Silendeni Ndlovu — is also aimed at imparting life skills to learners through hands-on experience.

The area under cultivation is approximately one acre. The students learn how to grow vegetables, among other crops.

The skills imparted may prepare students for careers in agriculture-related disciplines later in life. Some students may end up as farmers, hence the need for them to master the basics now.

Students cleared the land for the cultivation of crops such as tomatoes, rape, covo, onions, cabbages and carrots. Manure is extensively used.

The horticulture project relies on the poultry project for chicken droppings that are used as manure. Use of fertiliser is kept to a minimum to reduce costs.

Tomatoes, of the Roma variety, were grown on May 26 and harvested around the end of September. The tomatoes were sold to school staff and the local community.

Cabbages were put under irrigation on June 2 and harvested from September 15.

The horticulture project faces a number of challenges such as pests and unreliable water supply. To mitigate such challenges, the school administration has sunk two boreholes. This has gone a long way in ensuring that plants do not suffer moisture stress. One will appreciate this better considering that Mutoko is in Natural Region Five, and that we are now in summer, when temperatures are soaring.

There is still need for a solar water pump to make irrigation easier, faster and more efficient.

Several benefits are derived from this project, including life skills for the students, and alleviation of poverty, as the learners apply such skills at home after school for self-sustenance.

Food security is guaranteed, while some learners can even raise their own pocket money through such agricultural activities.