ZimGold courts farmers

Gweru – Cooking oil producer ZimGold is looking for sunflower farmers to contract this coming
season.
Addressing the Zimbabwe National Defence University (ZNDU) Course Number 12/23 who were on a
domestic study tour at Fig Tree 8 Farm in Somabula, ZimGold supply chain manager Zacharia
Mupachike said the company wants to establish a sustainable source of one of its key raw materials.
“ZimGold is looking for sunflower farmers to contract this coming summer season and the minimum
is 10ha but farmers can still benefit by forming clusters.
“ZimGold will not deduct the cost of seed given to the farmer when they deliver their sunflower to
ZimGold,” he said.
Mupachike said the free sunflower seeds will guarantee an offtake for local farmers.
“We are inviting every farmer to this positive development. If you have less than 10 ha, form clusters
where you are within Midlands, and we will give you the seed for free,” he said.
Mupachike said there is enough land in the country that can be used to grow sunflowers and cut out
cooking oil imports.
Last year, the country imported crude oil worth about U$200 million, according to statistics from the
Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency, making it one of the most imported commodities in the
country.
“Zimbabwe is importing between 55 000 and 65 000 tonnes of sunflower oil from South Africa.
“The shortage of sunflower oil has added to the pressure that food price inflation is piling on
consumers,” he said.
Mupachike said they are pushing the Government agenda towards food self-sufficiency and they
want to contribute towards making cooking oil sufficient in the country.
“We saw it as logical to empower locals to grow sunflowers so as to reduce the import bill. We
managed to garner 828 ha in Somabula and this has been possible because famers have been
forming consortiums or clusters,” he said.
Sunflower seed is a key ingredient in the production of edible oils and is regarded as the second best
after olive oil in terms of health benefits.
Zimbabwe largely extracts edible oils from soya beans and cotton seed but output has not been
adequate to feed local mills.
Mupachike cited Fig Tree 8 Farm owner Kudzai Katiyo as one who is in a cluster for Somabula
farmers, a move other farmers can follow.
Katiyo applauded the visit by Zimbabwe National Defence University (ZNDU) Course Number 12/23
and said that would motivate them to work hard.

A beneficiary of the government's land reform programme, Katiyo started from nothing but now has
over 100 cattle and grows a number of crops.