Ngqwele Dube
BULAWAYO – Abalimi eNyamandlovu leTsholotsho esabelweni seMatabeleland North bathi ibiza imali ephezulu lonyaka inhlanyelo yomumbu njalo kabasoze benelise ukulima kuhle ngenxa yokucaka kwenkomo lamadonki kanye lendlala enkulu ababhekane layo.
Bayakhala abalimi abathi inhlanyelo kayithengeki lonyaka. Inhlanyelo yomumbu eyisilinganiso sama-kilograms alitshumi eyayithengwa phose ngamatshumi amathathu amadollar eMelika – US$27 nyakenye, isibiza amadollar angamatshumi amane – US$40. Abalimi abanengi bathi kabasoze benelise ukuyithenga ngenxa yokukhuphuka kwentengo yayo lonyaka. Isaka lenhlanyelo yomumbu eliyisilinganiso samakilograms angamatshumi amabili lanhlanu, lithengiswa phose ngekhulu lamadollar – US$99 kuthi-e eliyisilinganiso samakilograms amahlanu lona libiza amadollar afika phose amatshumi amabili – US$18. Omunye wabakhala ngentengo ephuzulu nguMnu. Abraham Ndlovu.
“Intengo iyadula njengoba abantu vele babuya endlaleni, so ukuthi aphinde athenge inhlanyelo edulayo kubanzima kubalimi”
Bayakhala abalimi
Uyakhala loMnumzana Phathisa Dlamini.
“Intengo yakhona iyabulala njengoba singasebenzi kungaba kuhle ukuthi kungaba lendlela yokuthi iyehle ngoba imisebenzi ayikho siyenza okokuthengisa, siyathengisa khonapha etown imali yakhona siyithola nzima. Beskhalela ukuthi aluba ngabe iyehliswa kodwa njengoba siqala ukulima bazakhweza futhi.”
Kulabanye abalimi abathi kabasoze benelise ukulima lonyaka ngenxa yokukhuphuka kwentengo yenhlanyelo. UNkosikazi Tryphine Sibanda olima eseChalet uthi ikhuphuke kakhulu intengo yenhlanyelo.
“Into eyenzakalayo yikuthi uyabe ufuna inhlanyelo enengi so nxa iyabe ikubo $38, $39 iyabe idula sibili. Ngabe iyayehla iye kubo $30 kuyezwakala ngoba khathesi nxa uyithenga ngaleyi iprice kutsho next time iyabe isi more.”
UNkosikazi Simiso Ndlovu oweInsuza Village 1B uthi uzalinda ukuncedwa nguhulumende lonyaka olohlelo lwePresidential Agricultural Inputs Scheme.
“I10kg ingakwana ku2 hectare kodwa ngisalinde ugatshompo. Mina bengingakayi thengi inhlanyelo kodwa ngizwe abanye besithi i10kg isiyi $40, last year besiyithenga nge $25 ngiyibona idula kakhulu,”
Isakhamuzi seTsholotsho uMnu. Mthulisi Khuphe uthi kasoze enelise ukuthenga inhlanyelo lonyaka ngoba iyadula.
"Ukulungiselela ukulima sesiqalile ukutshaya amagwenzi uthango lokugebha amagodi labo abagebhayo njengoba kube yindlala enkulu kangaka asazi kumbe imali zakhona zizayeneliseka ukuthi sithole inhlanyelo ngoba sizwe kuthwa inhlanyelo ye 2kg yi$9 manje khonapho yikho okuzasinzimela khona izkhwama kazikho, ziqedwe yindlala.”
Abalimi bathi kayithengeki lonyaka inhlanyelo
Kulabanye abathi bazakuya koBulawayo emkambo weShashe lapho abazathenga khona umumbu wokugayisa bewuhlanyele emasimini. Igokoko lomumbu emkambo lo lithengiswa ngamadollar eMelika ayisitshiyangalombili – US$8. Isakhamuzi seInsuza uNkosikazi Nomakhosazana Ncube uthi kungcono bethenge umumbu lo kulokuzama ukudinga imali yokuthenga inhlanyelo ehloliweyo.
“Thina abanye vele sizazithengela eyako Shashe ibhabhadla lakudala sizphilele ngalo ngoba eleskhiwa leli selikwaniswa ngamakhiwa abalemali zabo. Thina abangakwanisiyo ukutshaya ugatshompo asisoze sihole siyaqina ngayonaleyi eyako Shashe. Inkenya itshiphile eBotswana leborder mbona ayi declare iyazidlulela”
UMnumzana Mthokozisi Dlamini ofundisa ezokulima ekolitshini leLupane State University uthi akumangalisi ukukhuphuka kwentengo yenhlanyelo yomumbu lamabele.
“Inhlanyelo iyakhwela ngomyaka ngomnyaka kusiya ngokuthi abalima inhlanyelo bayilime ngemalini ngoba kukhuphuka konke ama fertiliser abawasebenzisayo, lamanzi”
Abenhlanganiso ezabalimi labo bethuswa yikukhuphuka kwentengo yenhlanyelo lonyaka. Umgcinisihlalo weZimbabwe Farmers Union esabelweni Matabeleland North, uMnumzana Busani Khumalo. uthi abalimi abanengi kabasoze benelise ukulima ngenxa yentengo yenhlanyelo ephezulu.
“Lokhu kuzabulala isivuno loba abalimi bebethenjisiwe ukuthi kuzabalezulu bazalima kahle kodwa abalimi abanengi izifiso zabo zizaphelela emoyeni ngoba bengalakho okokuhlanyela. Ukulima indawo ezinkulu ngeke kube khona ngoba konke okokulima kukhwelile. Ifertiliser, kuthi amatrakitha yi $70 per hectare then imithi layo lama labour costs."
UDlamini uphinde wathi kuzabanzima kubalimi lonyaka ngoba inkomo ziyacuba ngenxa yokuswelakala kwamadlelo lamanzi okubangelwe yisikhudumezi somkhathi ese-El Nino. Banengi asebekhangelele ukuba bazathola usizo lukahulumende phansi kohlelo lwePfumvudza/Intwasa Inputs Scheme lezinye.