Marapira pledges to assist Zimuto fish, piggery farmers

Lloyd Shunje

ZIMUTO – Masvingo North legislator and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Mechanisation, Davies Marapira has pledged to help farmers with the Sekenende cooperative so that they develop their projects. 

Marapira was peaking during the Aquaculture Zimbabwe ‘Eat Fish Twice a Week’ campaign held in Bawa area under Chief Zimuto last week.

The minister toured the cooperative’s poultry, piggery and two fish ponds which to date have more than 16 000 Nail Tilaphia fish.

He commended Aquaculture, an organisation which funded part of the fishery project, for supporting Masvingo North.

He pledged to assist the piggery section with feeds so as to boost the lives of the local people.

“Aquaculture is doing a great job here, however I have noted that the cooperative also started a piggery project which needs more feeds, I will assist with the feeds so that they can earn a decent living from these initiatives,” said Marapira.

Aquaculture Zimbabwe country director, Martin Dhingwa urged people to take the campaign serious, describing it a step forward in the quest for better nutrition..

“We are trying to encourage people to eat healthy food and this campaign is part of the programme which we encourage people to take seriously.

“We are doing fishery projects in other districts across the country so that people can survive and improve their nutrition,” said Dhingwa.

A beneficiary of the initiative, Shadaya Mugove said the ponds were constructed through a food for work programme between 2013 and 2014.

“We draw the water from Sekenende dam and we have benefitted financially as we doing various projects. We have acquired technical knowledge from Aquaculture Zimbabwe.

“We also need links of markets outside of our community or contracts with supermarkets so that we can produce and supply fish to them,” said Mugove.news