The mayor of Mutale Municipality, Cllr Lucas Manyuha, urged all farmers in his municipality to produce more food for the local market, in order to curb the rocketing prices of food.

He also urged women farmers to exploit the export market which, he said, was still open. Manyuha was addressing guests and contestants during the annual Mutale Female Farmer of the Year Competition held at the Tshilamba Home Economics Centre last week.

The competition was organised by the municipality, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture.

The women competed in the categories of informal market, household and national market. The export market was not contested, as there were no farmers from the municipality in that category.

The manager of the Department of Agriculture in Mutale, Ms Musandiwa Matshonyonge, said the competition was aimed at encouraging the previously disadvantaged women in agriculture to work harder and to explore new opportunities in agriculture. She said women should not be confined to small-scale farming only but should be exposed to the international market where they could compete with the best. “This is the department’s way of motivating more and more women to go into agriculture and we have noticed development since the competition was started in 2000,” she said. She said most women in the rural areas were not in any formal employment and agriculture was the only way the cycle of poverty could be broken.

The Household Section was won by Maria Muthala, Helen Mavhungu came second and third was Judith Makuya. The informal market was won by Rodigana Project, followed by Makuya Project and third was Tshandama Piggery. Rambelani Lusunzi won the national market category, followed by Lufuno Madavha and the third place was taken by Rudzani Matshusa.

Lusunzi of Tshipise said the competition had instilled a sense of competitiveness amongst women. “We feel very motivated by the prizes and we promise to work even harder to put our municipality on the international map,” she said. Lusunzi is in vegetable production and supplies the Johannesburg market.

The winners received cash amounts and certificates for their efforts and the competition moved on to district level.

The competition was sponsored by Brennco Feeds.