Zimpapers Logo

Conrad Mupesa Mash West Bureau

Delta Corporation is leading by example in contracting farmers to grow some of its grain requirements, thereby empowering the farmers economically, a Cabinet Minister has said. 

The brewer of traditional and clear beers is a major consumer of grain and contracts farmers to produce barley, sorghum and maize. 

Speaking after touring 400 hectares of barley at Resurge Farm in Selous under Chegutu district last Friday, Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said other corporates must come follow the example and assist farmers. 

“Delta has contracted collectively 7 000 hectares under the barley crop throughout the country. This means Delta will be able to generate 35 000 tonnes of barley, which is more than their requirement of 22 000 tonnes,” he said. 

“The corporate sector is producing more than enough for the country and is able to export. We would like to encourage other corporates to learn from Delta and to be able to produce their raw materials as well. 

“My expectation is therefore, that those that are in the oil seed sector would be able to sponsor cotton, sunflower and soya bean production.” 

Barley is a cereal grain which, apart from being used in the brewing of beer and alcoholic beverages, is also used to make medicine for heart diseases and high cholesterol. 

Minister Masuka challenged farmers to embrace farming as a business and use farms allocated to them for the betterment of the nation. 

Delta’s agricultural services general manager, Ms Grace Sithole, said before entering into a partnership, the company assesses the management, irrigation and machinery capacity of a farmer.

“There are several advantages of contracting farmers, which include assured supply of the raw materials, thereby cutting the import bill which is good for the local economy and be able to monitor the quality of the crop,” she said. 

Contracting also helps the company get a price to the farmer that assures viability and continuity, she said. 

Ms Sithole said they started the contract scheme of barley in 1975 after setting up a malting plant, sorghum in the early 1980s and maize in the early 2000s. Delta has annual requirements of at least 65 000 tonnes of maize, 13 000 tonnes of red sorghum and 3 000 tonnes of eagle sorghum. 

Host farmer, Mr Percival Mazike, has been growing barley since 2003, having done 330ha last season with an average harvest of eight tonnes a hectare. Due to favourable rains received this season, the farmer expects an average of nine tonnes per hectare. 

Mr Mazike, who was once into horticulture but abandoned the business due to falling crop price rates, has 17 state-of-the-art centre pivots, 14 having been financed by Delta. 

Delta has also financed the purchase of tractors and setting up of an electronic weigh bridge at Resurge Farm through a CBZ credit facility.