HARARE - Abalimi abatsha bathi balahlekelwa yisivuno esinengi ngenxa yokusilela kolwazi lokuvuna amabele lokunye.
Inhlanganiso yeFood and Agriculture Organisation ithi minyaka yonke abalimi bakwele Zimbabwe balahlekelwa yisivuno esiphakathi kwesilinganiso sokungamatshumi amabili ekhulwini - 20% kusiyafika okungamatshumi amane ekhulwini - 40%.
Inhlanganiso le ithi lokhu kwenzakala ngesikhathi sokuvuna kumbe sebefaka amabele eziphaleni lezinye indawo.
URumbidzai Matonga, olima amatamatisi eChegutu, uthi uhlupho yikuthi inengi labo kabalungiseleli ngemfanelo ukuvuna amabele.
“Nxa izilimo sezivutwa, yikho lapho abanengi bethu, abaqalisa ukudinga ukuthi bazathengisela ngaphi izilimo zabo, becine sebethengisa ngentengo ephansi kakhulu- okwenza belahle imali. Okunye njalo yikuthi imota sibili zokuthwala isivuno sethu, sidinga khonapho-khonapho, okutshiyana labalimi asebekhulile, abenelisa ukuzenzela konke lokhu. Ekufuneni ukwehlisa imali ezisetshenziswa ukuti isilimo sivutwe, kukhanya sesiyekela ukwenza ezinye izinto ezifaneleyo, njengokufundiswa phezu kokulondoloza isivuno.”
UBenjamin Mpofu ngumlimi osathuthukayo oseLower Gweru eNkabazwe. Uthi kunengi okubahluphayo okwenza ukuba belahlekelwe ngamabele ngesikhathi sebevuna okulinyiweyo.
“Okuhlupha kakhulu yimali. Noma ulwazi ulalo, nxa ungela mali yokuthenga izinto ezifana lemithi, ukwakha indawo ezifaneleyo, lokunye. Ulwazi lwakho aluncedi kangako. Okunye njalo yikuthi abalimisi sebefuna imali ukuthi besincedise. Bayifuna ngendlela yokuthi sibathengele amafuta okuthi babuye emasimini ethu, ukubathengela ukudla, iAirtime, kusiya.”
UMnumzana Wallace Banda, umlimisi osebenza eMatabeleland, ekunkampani yeSeed-Co, bayazama ukunceda abalimi.
“Sinanzelela ukuthi thina njengabalimisi siyazama ngazo zonke izindlela ukufundisa abalimi, ikakhulu labo asasebatsha, ngezindlela zokuthi isivuno sethu singasilondoloza njani ukuze singalahlekelwa. Minengi imizamo esiyenzwe ngabalimisi bakahulumende kanye lalabo abavela kunhlanganiso ezisebenza zizimele zodwa, labakumankampani.”
UMnumzana Isaac Ncube, ngumlimi eFilabusi esigabeni seInsiza. Uthi abanye abalimi abasakhulayo kabakwazi ukuvuna kahle amabele.
“Njongomzekeliso, ngesikathi sokuvuna, ungezwa abanye besithi okungumunjana lokhu okuwileyo akula ndaba, mina ngifuna omkhulu kuphela. Kodwa khonaphana inani lomumbu wakho liyabe lisehla, ucine usuthola imali elutshwane kulaleyo kade ufanele uyithole. Noma umumbu wakho ungaba muhle kanganani, nxa ungafiki isisindo esifunakalayo, kawuyizuzi imali enengi.”
UBeauty Chidakwa, umlimi ohlala koBulawayo, uthi ontanga badinga uncedo lokulima kanye lokuvuna amabele.
“Abasakhulayo laba kumele bayefundiswa, endaweni zokulima, ukuthi bagcine njani izilimo zabo, ezingahlanganisela inkukhu, imbuzi lengulube. Bafuna njalo ukuncedwa ngokuthi imithi efuna ukusetshenziswa, isetshenziswa njani. Ukuthi emuntwini swaa yenza lokhu, engakufundelanga, kungaba nzima, yikho ngisithi ontanga laba bafuna ukuncediswa besaqalisa.”
UMnumzana Dumisani Nyoni, okhokhela uhlangothi lukahulumende olubona ngezokulima olweAgricultural Extension Services, uthi zinengi indlela zokuvikela ukulahlekelwa ngamabele lokunye okuvunwa emasimini.
“Ubudli obuba khona emasimili kungaba ngamagundwane, inyoni kumbe ubudli baso isilimo sakhona. Nxa sikhangengela amatamatisi njengomzekeliso, kufuneka ukuthi umlimi avune efaka emthunzini, endaweni evikelekileyo. Singakhangelisisa, sinengi isikhathi lapho sisiyathenga wona amatamatisi ezitolo, kodwa sicina simathenga, kanye lezinye izilimo, zivela kwamanye amazwe. Lokhu kubangwa yikuthi bona bathi bevuna, bagezise, bafake lapho okuqanda khona, kungaze konakale. Thina siyavuna sifake elangeni, kuthwalwe kuselangeni, njalo ngemota engalungiselwanga ukwenza lokhu, kuhle kulimale kusiya emkambo.”
Kulabalimi abatsha asebezinikele ukuphila ngokuziphandela emasimini abadinga ulwazi lokuvuna amatamatisi, umumbu, inyawuthi lokunye.