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Daniel Chigunwe Mash Central Correspondent
THE Chagumuka name is well-known in music circles following the late Robbie “Machewe” Chagumuka’s 1990s hit song, Chakauya Chirwere.

While the family’s legacy is deep-rooted in the arts industry, only one of Robbie’s eight children, Benedict (34) has decided to try his hand at farming.

Born on August 19, 1984, Benedict, who is popularly known as Wandiona in entertainment circles, decided to trade his guitar for ploughs and shears.

His determination saw him being named the best young maize farmer in Mashonaland Central Province in 2017.

He was honoured to host a national field day at his farm recently.

His determination to succeed has seen him changing the face of Machewe Plot in Mvurwi and it is now the talk of the farming community because of its organised operations.

But success always comes with challenges and Chagumuka has this to say: “Our experiences as farmers after the land reform programme have been a mixed bag. We have faced a litany of challenges that seriously weighed down our operations.

“Yes, we have the land, but Government support was never enough to assist the new black farmer who had to adapt to so many changes that were affecting the country.

“However, we are witnessing a rapid transformation of the sector as a result of the new administration’s efforts through Command Agriculture Programme. Acquisition of inputs has been the major setback in the industry, but now the grain silos are bursting at seams with grain because of proper planning by the new dispensation.”

Chagumuka credits his success to the motivation from his parents, as well as Government’s sound policies to promote indigenous people.

“After the death of my father, Rob Chagumuka, I am the only one in a family of eight who took over the farming operations at this farm,” he said. “I was largely motivated by how our lives had changed from being poor people to better individuals in the community through agriculture activities.

“Nevertheless, Government has contributed a lot to my success in farming. I have managed to become an all-year round farmer since I have taken up winter wheat farming as well.

“Right now, we have 25 hectares under wheat. After that we will be planting potatoes and you can see that I am no longer a mere maize farmer. Diversification and crop rotation is the way to go.”

Located about eight kilometres from Mvurwi town, the 120-hectares Mwachewe Plot is capitalising on its proximity to one of the largest water bodies in the area, Gulliver Dam, to boost its operations.

“We are fortunate that our farm is so close to the dam, which gives us the advantage of irrigation since we have plenty of water,” he said. “However, our plea is that Government must assist us with centre pivots. We are relying on a sprinkler irrigation system, which is proving to be too small for heavy operations like wheat farming.

“The other good thing is that Government is now distributing inputs early for us to plan well ahead of the coming rainy season. With proper planning, one can never go wrong in farming.”

Chagumuka managed to harvest more than 200 tonnes of maize during the just-ended season. He is also expecting a bumper harvest from his 25 hectares of wheat, four hectares of potatoes and 50 hectares of soya-beans.

Chagumuka hails the support he gets from his wife.

The couple, which is blessed with three children, is determined to continue scoring successes in their now found passion.