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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
TOPPICK Investments, a wholly-owned indigenous company, has channelled US$5,5 million into development of irrigation infrastructure at the highly-integrated Zhovhe Farm, some 83km west of Beitbridge town.

The company’s managing director, Mrs Saliwe Marema, told stakeholders during a recent tour of the farm by the Minister of State in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Davis Marapira, that so far, a 7km pipeline has been constructed to boost the new citrus farming project.

Part of the money was used to import 68 000 orange trees, which are being planted with the number set to be increased to 277 000 trees.

“We are planting 68 000 trees and have so far constructed a 7km water pipeline from Zhovhe Dam to the farm. This will feed our orchard as well as our winter maize and soya beans,” she said.

Mrs Marema said they also bought 17 centre pivots and this has improved the growing of both wheat and maize under irrigation.

She said the company had also made investments into fish farming and animal husbandry covering goats, sheep, poultry and cattle.

The company expects to derive higher dividends from citrus production in the next five years.

In the long term, Mrs Marema said they were also considering diversifying to production of dairy cattle and related products.

“The market for citrus is big in the country and our aim is to produce for the local and export market,” she said.

Since the beginning of operations around 2014, the organisation has invested US$15 million in various businesses across the country.

These, said Mrs Marema, include the integrated farm, two lodges, three service stations and two funeral parlours.

Speaking during the same event, the organisation’s chief operations officer, Mr John Mudau, said they have employed more than 200 people from Beitbridge district alone.

“We are running an integrated farm with more than 1 000 cattle, 400 goats, 500 sheep, 24 floating cages with the capacity to carry 2,4 million fingerlings and 1 500 Sasso chicken,” said Mr Mudau.

He said in the last two farming seasons, the farm delivered 1 200 tonnes of wheat and 800 tonnes of maize to the Grain Marketing Board.

“We are hoping that with the aid of the new irrigation infrastructure, in the next farming season we will have even bigger yields.” — @tupeyo.