Background

Ennington Hungwa was born on 3 March 1982 in the Mapu area of Njelele 3, Gokwe South. His parents had settled in the area in the late 1950’s from Buhera in Manicaland where semi-arid conditions, coupled with very poor soils made it difficult to support a family. When Ennington got married in 2007 he started growing maize, groundnuts, cotton and sunflower to support his new family. However, by this time the price of cotton was declining on the international market. Ennington continued to persevere with cotton despite the viability challenges as he had no alternative cash crop – however he finally gave up in 2015. Ennington struggled to fend for his family – lack of viable markets for maize, sunflower and groundnuts meant that he often had to dispose of his produce at giveaway prices.

“I got married in 2007 when the economy was at its worst and I had to rely on farming for the upkeep of my new family. Inputs were expensive, but our crops fetched very little, especially cotton. The other crops had no ready market and when you managed to sell, the money had no value. I however kept hoping, as a man, that something would come up and make my family life better,” said Ennington, recounting the events prior to him joining the SIMBA programme.

In 2012 Ennington heard about the PISAP (Promote Intensification and Sustainability in Agricultural Production) programme which was being supported by WHH. The programme promoted conservation agriculture (CA) which was considered an effective way of mitigating droughts that had become so common in Gokwe South. Although most villagers had reservations about the CA system, Ennington joined the programme hoping that it would somehow improve his situation. His confidence in the programme also came from the fact that the local councillor was advocating for it.

“The rainfall situation in our area was getting worse each year. The soils were also becoming barren, having been farmed continually for many years. I was therefore willing to try anything that would improve my harvest. Encouraged by of our councillor, I became one of the first people to register for the programme. Some people did not join immediately because of the labour required to dig the holes. We were however encouraged to work in groups of 20 and take turns to help one other which made the work a lot easier. At the end of the season, the results of CA were amazing. We changed the name from dhigaufe (‘dig and die’) to dhigaudye (‘dig and have plenty’),” recounted Ennington with satisfaction.

Opportunity

In 2014, the SIMBA programme was introduced to farmers in Njelele 3. The programme was designed to develop the foundations achieved by the PISAP programme, including the development of new and existing markets. One of the selection criteria was that farmers were required to practise CA. In 2015 the programme introduced farmers to DK Alexander who purchases flower seed for export to Hem Zaden, a Dutch company that specializes in the production and wholesale of open-pollinated flower and herb seeds. Ennington decided to make the most of this opportunity.

“I had been looking for a cash crop to replace cotton for a long time. I was also told that the production of flower seed did not require a lot of inputs or land and that I would receive training on how to produce, harvest and grade the seed. So, flower seed production seemed to be a good opportunity. I however had to deal with a lot of discouragement from neighbours. Some thought production of flower seed would result in the introduction of new resistant weeds into our area. Others said that it would take too much effort produce a kilogram of clean seed because it is very light,” said Ennington. “But as a young man, I was ready to try new things, especially if they looked likely to help me look after my family. The explanations and promises we received from the company were sufficient to assure me that the programme would be a success,” he added.

Ennington ventured into the unknown, trusting that the company would give him the necessary support. In 2015/16 season he received 1 kg of Cosmos seed, sufficient to grow 1 acre, from which he harvested 36 kg of seed. This cleaning in The Netherlands. After a further deduction of 1 kg, for the planting seed, the net weight was 30.47 kg, for which he was paid $76.18 (at $2.50/kg), equivalent to about $308/ha.

Marigold field

Profitability analysis

Gross income

In 2016/17 Ennington grew Zinnia seed, harvesting 95.7 kg of seed from 1 acre which he sold for $3.00/kg, earning a gross income of $287.

Costs

The table lists many of the materials and services usually associated with smallholder cropping enterprises. In some cases, where there is no cost, the service is still listed to explain how it was funded.

• Inputs: Ennington was provided with seed valued at $3.00 by DK Alexander. Neither fertilizers or chemicals were applied to the seed crop.
• Training and extension: Training and extension are especially important for a new commercial crop such as flower seed. The company field manager advised farmers on the production, harvest and post-harvest management of flower seed, and managed the contract farming programme.
• Land preparation services: Ennington prepared the field using CA with help from other group members.
• Labour: Ennington did not hire any labour for this enterprise.
• Financial services: Ennington was paid through EcoCash.

Harvested flower seeds.

Net income

Ennington’s gross income was $287.00, against total costs of $3.00, leaving a net margin of $284, equivalent to $1150/ha.

Impact

Ennington has benefitted from the market development work of APT through:

• Access to an alternative cash crop: Flower seed came at the time when Ennington had decided to stop growing cotton, providing him with an alternative income generating crop.
• Asset purchases: Income earned through the production of flower seeds has been used to pay for the building of a pit latrine, plastering of the main house and the commencement of a pigeon project.

Ennington (centre) in Cosmos field

In addition to the market development work of APT Ennington has also benefitted greatly from the other activities implemented by SIMBA including training in hygiene, health, savings clubs, CA, compost making and nutrition gardens. There is evidence that Ennington and his family are using their newfound knowledge to improve the quality of their lives – the investment in a pit latrine provides an example of this.

Ennington is hoping to expand his flower seed production activities in 2018, pending an increased quota from DK Alexander.

Sustainability

DK Alexander has been contracting flower seed farmers in Gokwe South since 2015, promoting growing of a variety of flower seeds. In 2015/16 two varieties were promoted – Cosmos Sensation and Zinnia Lilliput. In 2016/17, confidence in the new Gokwe grower base resulted in business promoting additional new varieties: Cosmos Pinkie, Zinnia Persia, Zinnia Dhalia, Marigold Sparky, Marigold Tall Nema, Ipomoea Scarlet and Sunflower. The number of contracted farmers nearly doubled from 36 in the first year to 62 in 2016/17. The business is planning further increases in 2017/18, demonstrating confidence in the absence of the APT facilitation.