Assessment of Agro-based entrepreneurship opportunities in the fast track land reform programme in Marondera District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study assessed the entrepreneurial opportunities inherent in the Fast-Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) in the Marondera District of Mashonaland East province, Zimbabwe. The study was energised by the idea that the quest for total economic independence can only be realised by exploiting the agro-based entrepreneurial opportunities in the FTLRP. Critical judgements have been made on the extent to which the FTLRP has been a success or a failure. The researcher argues that the entrepreneurship opportunities contained in the FTLRP could have had a transformative impact on livelihoods. Livelihoods have been impacted positively to a large extent, hence the reason for this study. The study is anchored on the pragmatist philosophy and adopted the mixed methods research paradigm. Data were collected using unstructured interviews, structured questionnaires, and focus group discussions. The respondents included stakeholders related to the FTLRP, such as the land beneficiaries as well as agro-based dealers who facilitated the provision of enabling services for entrepreneurship development. The major findings are that most farmers are engaged in primary production of agricultural produce, which constitutes raw materials such as maize, sunflower and soya beans that are produced for resale in processing industries. The prices offered in local markets are not attractive enough to lure investment into agro-business entrepreneurship. Even though government allocated land to beneficiaries, the issue of property rights has remained a concern to FTLRP farmers. The farmers feel vulnerable because they do not have ownership rights, thus making them at risk of eviction. Furthermore, these farmers cannot farm sustainably, as they are unable to borrow money from banks to support agro-business entrepreneurship. The study recommends that government issues farmers with the property rights such as title deeds, and train farmers on more intensive farming methods towards increasing the hectares of productive land, with specialisation in selected crops that fetch bigger margins of return on investment for farmers to enjoy economies of scale. There is a need for all stakeholders, particularly government, banks, development partners and the donor community to mobilise financial resources that can provide a diverse source of funding to support agro-based entrepreneurship.

Olu phando luhlole amathuba oshishino akhoyo kwiNkqubo yokuHlaziywa koMhlaba ngokukhawuleza eyaziwa ngokuba yi-Fast-Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) kwiSithili iMarondera kwiphondo laseMashonaland East, eZimbabwe. Uphando lukhuthazwe yingcamango yokuba ukufuna ukuzimela ngokupheleleyo kwezoqoqosho kunokufezekiswa kuphela ngokusebenzisa amathuba oshishino olusekelwe kwezolimo kwiFTLRP. Kwenziwe uhlalutyo olugwebayo malunga nokuba iFTLRP ibe yimpumelelo okanye iye yasilela na. Umphandi uxoxa ukuba amathuba oshishino aqulethwe kwiFTLRP ebenokuba nefuthe lokuguqula indlela yokuziphilisa. Iindlela zokuziphilisa ziye zachaphazeleka kakuhle ubukhulu becala, nto leyo ekhokelele kolu phando. Olu phando lusekelwe kwifilosofi egxile ekusetyenzisweni kwengcamango esebenzayo endaweni kokufaneleka kwayo okunokwenzeka eyaziwa ngokuba yi-pragmatist philosophy, lwaze lwasebenzisa iindlela ezixubileyo zophando. Idatha iqokelelwe kusetyenziswa udliwanondlebe olungacwangciswanga, amaxwebhu emibuzo ecwangcisiweyo, kunye neengxoxo zeqela ekugxilwe kulo luphando. Abaphenduli bophando baquka abathathinxaxheba abanxulumene neFTLRP, njengabaxhamli bomhlaba kwakunye nabathengisi bezolimo ababeququzelela ukubonelelwa kweenkonzo ezinika amandla kuphuhliso lwamashishini. Iziphumo eziphambili kukuba uninzi lwamafama lubandakanyeka kwimveliso ephambili yemveliso yezolimo, evelisa iimveliso ezingacolwanga ezifana nombona, ujongilanga kunye neembotyi zesoya eziveliswa ukuze zithengiswe kwakhona kumashishini okuzicola. Amaxabiso anikezelwa kwiimarike zasekuhlaleni akanamtsalane ngokwaneleyo ukulukuhla utyalomali kushishino lwamashishini ezolimo. Nangona urhulumente wabela abaxhamli umhlaba, umba wamalungelo omhlaba uye wahlala uxhalabisa kumafama eFTLRP. Amafama aziva esemngciphekweni kuba engenawo amalungelo obunini, nto leyo ibenza abe semngciphekweni wokugxothwa kule mihlaba. Ngaphezu koko, la mafama awakwazi ukulima ngokuzinzileyo nanjengoko engakwazi ukuboleka imali ezibhankini ukuxhasa ushishino lwamashishini ezolimo. Olu phando lucebisa ukuba urhulumente anikeze amafama amalungelo omhlaba afana neziqinisekiso/iitayitile zomhlaba, aze aqeqeshe amafama kwiindlela zokulima ezimandla ngakumbi ekwandiseni iihektare zomhlaba onemveliso, ingakumbi kwizityalo ezikhethiweyo ezenza ingeniso enkulu yenzuzo kutyalomali lwamafama ukuze onwabele uqoqosho lwemveliso yawo. Kukho imfuneko yokuba bonke abachaphazelekayo, ingakumbi urhulumente, iibhanki, amahlakani ophuhliso kunye noluntu olunikelayo, baqokelele izibonelelo zemali ezinokubonelela ngomthombo wenkxasomali ongafaniyo ukuxhasa ushishino olusekelwe kwezolimo