Strawberry queen inspires others

When Border Streams, a jam-making factory where she had worked since the 1980s, closed in 2000, she took over the strawberry farm left by the previous owner, Donald Peterson. He relocated to Britain in 2000 during the infamous land reform heist.

Sachinda began serious strawberry farming in 2010, after eventually winning court battles against war veterans who had invaded the farm which Peterson had left for her.

She managed to get loan from the bank to further develop the property. She has since repaid the loan and is now enjoying her profits.

“Strawberry farming is a brisk business. Before joining it, I didn’t realise men were making lots of money out of this crop. I have made great economic strides in my life,” said Sachinda, who has invested in property in Mutare and Harare.

Reliable income

Her strawberry farming business continues to grow each season. “Faced with responsibilities I couldn’t avoid as a single parent, I turned to strawberry farming as a way to generate a more reliable income,” she said.

She has managed to keep the six employees at the farm who worked for Peterson. They have vast experience in strawberry farming. Sachinda has employed four more staffers who administer the farm. One of them is her son John, a qualified administrator, who is now the farm manager.

She has renovated the farm house, bought more farming equipment including a delivery van and a personal car. She has also renovated and extended the employee quarters. “I have also helped in paying part of school fees for my employees’ children and I have been buying school uniforms for them,” she said.

Sachinda has stocked her shop near the farm with various groceries and other necessities. This has helped members of the surrounding community as they can now buy at the shop instead of travelling to Mutare, about 20km away.

Export

Sachinda supplies the strawberries to various organisations for local consumption as well as export.

“I have customers in Mutare, Bulawayo and Harare. I also have fruit processing companies, including Cairns Foods in Mutare, that are buying my strawberries on a large scale,” she said.

“The local hotels and restaurants also buy here, so I have a very good market,” she added.

Her success has influenced other farmers to try their hand at growing this nutritious fruit.

"It hasn't been easy and strawberry farming takes a lot of your time especially when they start ripening. You have to pick them early in the morning when the humidity is ideal, before nine o'clock. It is advisable to do your marketing before planting strawberries to avoid losses as they are perishable and delicate," Sachinda said.

Though she grows the fruit for sale, she also specialises in seed production and is the main supplier of strawberry seeds to farmers across Manicaland and other outlying areas including Mozambique.

Sachinda hopes for further expansion. “I 'd like to have a jam and juice processor in Mutare in the near future. I also hope to penetrate the regional market,” she said.

Her strawberry farm is now a case study and she has become a trainer for farmers willing to try the crop.

The passion and determination of this woman has influenced many women in Vumba to turn to strawberry farming.

Chido Ndengeya is one of them. "When I realised I could not meet the little demand for strawberries, I approached Mai Sachinda in my neighbourhood and she told me of the benefit of strawberry farming,” she said.

Helped a lot

“She has helped me a lot. As of now I am doing well though I am still doing it on a small scale. I am very confident that I will be able to follow her footsteps and become successful farmer too," she added.

The Zimbabwe Women Farmers Association (ZWFA) vice chairperson Florence Chimotosaid the increase in women strawberry farmers has been driven by an increase in the number of single mothers, either widowed or divorced, pressed hard with financial responsibilities of looking after their children.

“Women are fast finding strawberry growing a panacea to turning around their fortunes. We are happy that some women are fast becoming strawberry tycoons, holding their heads high in the midst of male farmers, who traditionally dominate the field,” said Chimoto.

The ZWFA was registered in 2002 on the initiative of large scale indigenous women farmers who entered the business of farming soon after the Land Reform Programme.

It has 27,201members registered for the 2014-2015 season. “Our aim is to provide appropriate training programmes, leadership workshops, technical courses and notes, handbooks, for the benefit our members,” said Chimoto, adding that the association represents its members in negotiations with the National Employment Council in agriculture for fair labour practices.

“We also provide and facilitate the provision of technical extension, administrative support and advisory services through field days, shows and demonstrations, newsletters, brochures and a magazine,” she explained.

She said last year the association disseminated appropriate new farming technologies to members, which greatly improved their production. “We have organised crop production, marketing and trade trainings and created a website and database for trade partners for the benefit of our members,” she added.

Sachinda said she had benefitted a lot from the establishment of internet-based networks with market providers. “I am proud that the association has facilitated contract farming and financial package support for me with strategic partners,” she said.