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Fungai Lupande

Mash Central Bureau

Hundreds of Bindura South villagers are benefiting from a “pig pass-on” project, supported by the Korean Government with a view to cater for nutritional needs and to increase income per household.

The project is running in wards 9, 12 and 13 in Bindura rural.

Having started in December 2017 with two sows, the piggery project has empowered and transformed the communities, enabling families to raise funds for medication and school fees.

More people continue to receive start-up seed from groups that started the project earlier.

The villages are getting support from South Korea, through their “saemaul-undong” model which means “new village movement.”

The model which is based on diligence, co-operation and self-help to improve one’s own well-being and food security, has successfully transformed Korea from a manual labour-based to technology-based agriculture.

Mrs Tambudzai Mujayi said she joined a group of 20 in 2018 after building a pen at Ushongani-Saemaul Undong Centre in Bindura rural.

“After receiving a pigs, you buy your own feed and manage your project. We sell the pigs and reinvest the money. We use the extra money to take care of household needs including school fees and medical care,” she said.

“The project has transformed lives and empowered us women as we are now meaningfully contributing to the welfare of our families with the extra money going towards improving our living standards.”

Ward 9 Councillor Maria Chatyoka welcomed the project saying it will go a long way in improving livelihoods.

She said women in her ward were previously being sidelined and left out in developmental projects but the project in question is all inclusive.

“We struggled for a long time and the issue was resolved. Now we have women taking up political and decision-making positions in this village. We are happy that women are now being considered for development opportunities,” said Clr Chatyoka.

“We want to expand the project and ensure that every project member starts a project at their respective homesteads. Here at Chitauro village, women are excited about the project.”

Touring Muomwe and Hamamaoko piggery groups in ward 9 and 12 the provincial livestock specialist Mr Daniel Kampiyau said piggery has become a lucrative business.

“A lot of people have resorted to pork and pork products due to tick borne and the speculation of cattle dead carcasses being sold,” he said.

“Despite the fact that life has been difficult, a number of people are flocking resort places and there is an increased demand for pork braai.

“However, we have a few pork abattoirs in the province and a little to no carcass grading facilities which may short-change the farmers. There is a need for our smallholder farmers to value adding their pork produce and that is a gap.”

The Korean Embassy has imported pork processing and packaging equipment from its country and Germany.

These developments happening in Bindura rural areas resonate well with President Mnangagwa’s vision of an upper middle income economy by 2030.

Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Bong-Kae Do congratulated the country and President Mnangagwa for a phenomenal bumper harvest of 2,8 million tonnes during the 2020/2021 cropping season, more than double the five-year average he said.

Speaking at the launch of the community piggery project in ward 9 and 12 as well as a solar-powered “40 000 litre” borehole Ambassador Bong-Kae said Korea is now transforming to a climate smart agriculture by securing sustainable food security under climate change.

This is why the ambassador thinks Korea will be the best partner for Zimbabwe in agriculture.

He said the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) prioritises improving food self-sufficiency and retaining the country’s regional breadbasket status.

“The NDS1 also focuses on enhancing the resilience and sustainable agriculture by continuous learning and experimentation.

“The Government is also promoting agricultural mechanisation, farm structures and irrigation technologies,” he said.

“My embassy and myself will continue to make utmost efforts to facilitate the cooperation. As mentioned in the, Zimbabwean Government puts the priority on.

“At least 42 families in Bindura have benefited from the piggery project. As the people of Bindura actively participated in the program, it is my firm belief that they are worth boasting of as front-runners to build capacity for small holder farmers.”

He said in 2016, the Korea Program for International Cooperation in Agricultural Technology (KOPIA) Centre in Zimbabwe implemented numerous projects. The projects include providing technology for the production of food and agricultural products, developing technologies in crop, horticulture, and livestock sectors for productivity improvement.

Ambassador Bong Kae commended the country for active procurement and roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination and being amongst top countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Officially opening the projects Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Senator Monica Mavhunga said the “Saemaul Undong” programme compliments the Government policies aimed at achieving an empowered and prosperous upper middle-income society by 2030.

She said the second republic is not leaving anyone behind through empowering women and the youth by creating employment, increasing incomes and promoting food security.

The bilateral cooperation between Gyeongsangnam-do and Mashonaland Central is deep, she said.

“The partnership between Gyeongsangnam-do province and Ushongani village in Bindura which started in May 2016 has played a critical role in sharing Korea’s development experience with this province,” she said.

“The national agenda seeks to transform the livelihood of people to an upper middle income status by 2030. The piggery pass-on project continues to extend its coverage.”

Minister Mavhunga commended the commitment and selfless participation by the groups involved.

She challenged group members to embrace the patriotic spirit of the saemaul movement and work hard for the benefit of the community.

“We are grateful for the continued support in various areas including health remodelling at clinics in Chiveso, Vonabo, Chinyani, Glamorgan and Muliti. I believe that Korea and Zimbabwe have great potential to further enhance our cooperation in agriculture and food security,” said Senator Mavhunga.

“The Ushongani-Saemaul Undong Centre has become a training hub for life skills development for the province and beyond. We also received support in the improvement of the Bindura casualty unit.

“I want to remind you that this unity project represents a friendship between Korea and Zimbabwe.”