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(HERALD) Karoi embarks on poultry, horticultural projects

Karoi embarks on poultry, horticultural projects
Saturday, 25 June 2011 23:52 Agriculture
From Noah Pito in Hurungwe

KAROI Town Council has embarked on poultry and horticultural projects in a bid to widen the revenue base.

Apart from venturing into a 40-hectare seed maize project at its New Forest Farm last year, the council has started a horticultural project that will see a hectare each under vegetables such as rape, onion, cabbage, cucumbers and tomatoes in the coming few weeks.

Land preparation is complete at a site near its New Forest Farm dam and planting of the vegetables is already underway.

The council has also initiated a beekeeping venture near the dam. The horticultural project will target ready markets in Hurungwe, Kariba and Chirundu One-Stop Border Post, while the honey project will target the local community.

At the local authority’s Shambatungwe Farm, a broiler project — which started two months ago — is in full swing with about 2 000 birds averaging 2,2kg in dressed mass, having been so far sold to local hotels, butcheries, takeaways and individuals.

Town secretary Mr Maxwell Kaitano said the local authority is aiming at expanding the broiler project to attain a turnover of 60 000 birds per year.

“We are in the process of constructing proper fowl runs,” he said.

“So far we have been using the improvised tobacco grading sheds to house the birds. After construction of the fowl runs, we are targeting to raise our turnover to 60 000 birds per year. This will be achieved by raising six batches of 10 000 fowls each at a time. In the next cropping season, the council is looking at growing up to 200 hectares of commercial maize, 70 hectares of soya and 20 hectares dry- land tobacco.

Tobacco will be grown at Shambatungwe Farm, where there is adequate infrastructure, while maize and soya will be grown at the New Forest Farm.

Karoi Town Council is operating in partnership with the Urban Development Corporation (Udcorp) and there is a specialist farm manager, Mr Charles Bvukumbwi, who is in charge of all the agricultural projects.-The Sunday Mail

Labels: COUNCILS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, POULTRY

posted by MrK @ 4:35 PM