{"id":9453,"date":"2025-09-23T08:37:37","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T08:37:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/?p=9453"},"modified":"2025-09-23T08:37:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T08:37:40","slug":"new-turmeric-farming-programme-launched-to-empower-rural-farmers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/?p=9453","title":{"rendered":"New Turmeric Farming Programme Launched to Empower Rural Farmers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Agriculture and Farming<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A new agricultural empowerment initiative has been launched, aiming to position Zimbabwe as a key producer of turmeric by providing smallholder farmers with free training, starter inputs, and a guaranteed market for their harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The programme, launched by Maga Agri Pvt Ltd in partnership with Nexus Kin Agriculture, is designed to boost rural incomes and promote sustainable farming practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It specifically targets women, youth, and farmers with access to virgin land and basic irrigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simon Magama, Chief Executive of Maga Agri, described the crop as an &#8220;economic lifeline&#8221; with significant potential for the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cZimbabwe has the soil and climate to become a key player in turmeric production,\u201d Magama said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis programme will not only increase household incomes but also promote sustainable and organic farming practices.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Highlighting the strategic focus on empowering vulnerable groups, Magama added,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBy empowering rural farmers\u2014especially women and young people\u2014we are creating pathways to financial independence, food security, and long-term sustainability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The initiative targets farmers with land holdings from 0.25 hectares and above. Beyond cultivation, the programme includes a strong value-addition component, with processing equipment already procured to allow farmers to benefit from the full value chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Magama pointed to a gap in the global market that Zimbabwe can exploit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTurmeric is a high-value crop. India, which is the world\u2019s largest producer, has been struggling to meet global demand. This opens a window for Zimbabwe to tap into export markets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The company is also exploring innovative local uses for the spice, including a pilot project to mix turmeric with mealie-meal to enhance its nutritional value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTurmeric has many health benefits, and we believe we must start prioritising healthy eating in our communities,\u201d Magama stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The programme represents a significant step towards diversifying Zimbabwe&#8217;s agricultural exports and creating sustainable economic opportunities in rural areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow us on social media for breaking news:<br>\u00b7 X (Twitter): @ZimGbc<br>\u00b7Instagram: @ZimGBCNews<br>\u00b7TikTok: @ZimGBCNews_01<br>\u00b7Facebook: Zim GBC News<br>\u00b7YouTube: Zim GBC News<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get real-time alerts on WhatsApp: +263 773 820 323<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For in-depth coverage, visit our website: www.zimgbcnews.co.zw<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Zim GBC News <\/strong>| Global News From An African Perspective\u00a92025<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Agriculture and Farming A new agricultural empowerment initiative has been launched, aiming to position Zimbabwe as a key producer of turmeric by providing smallholder farmers with free training, starter inputs,&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[129],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agriculture"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9453"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9455,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9453\/revisions\/9455"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}