UJoshua Kagera wamukela ukulima amazambane ngomdlandla eminyakeni emine edlule. Emuva ngaleso sikhathi uthi, izinto zazimnandi. “Ngikwazile ukuphila ngokunethezeka ngenxa yokutshala lesi sitshalo. Benginemakethe engaguquki futhi amanani entengo ebemnandi, ”kukhumbula uKagera. Wayenesifiso esikhulu, waze waqasha amahektare angama-20 Isifunda sase-Ol Kalou ukukhipha iphrojekthi. Kepha endleleni athi, abadayisi bahlasela uchungechunge lwamanani futhi amanani aqala ukwehla. Uyeke manje ukutshala lesi sitshalo esikhundleni salokho wangena kumaphrojekthi wezolimo athembisayo.
"Ngiyekile ngoba izindleko zamazambane okulima eNyandarua ziphakeme kakhulu kusukela ekufakweni kwepulazi, kuya ezimbewini nasemsebenzini," ekhala.
Uthi imbewu yamazambane ibiza u-Sh3,000 ngesikhwama ngasinye kanye nesikhwama sikamanyolo esingu-50kg kubiza cishe imali efanayo. UKagera uthi ukuqasha umhlaba kuhlanganisa izindleko njengoba ekhokha u-Sh10,000 umuntu ngamunye ihektare eliphelele elingu-Sh240,000 ngonyaka.
“Amazambane nawo adinga ukufafazwa ukuqinisekisa ukuthi isimo sezulu esibandayo asimoshi isivuno. Ngakho-ke ngesikhathi lapho isivuno sesivuthwa khona ukuvuna, umlimi uzobe esechithe imali eningi okungenzeka angayitholi ngemuva kokuthengisa umkhiqizo, ”usho kanje.
Ipulazi lamazambane emakethe
Esinye isizathu esenza ukuthi ayeke ngabathengisi abayalela amanani emakethe.
“Ngemuva kokukhandleka futhi ungcolise izandla zakho ukukhiqiza amazambane, kuqhamuke umuntu bese eyalela ukuthi uzokukhokhela malini esikhwameni ngasinye. Ngenxa yokuthi amazambane awanakugcinwa isikhathi eside, umlimi esaba ukuthi isivuno sakhe singahle singahambi kahle, unikezela izidingo zabathengisi bese uthengisa umkhiqizo ngentengo yokulahla, ”kukhala yena. IKagera izwa ukuthi ukulima amazambane kungaba yinzuzo uma ohulumeni besifunda behamba bekhuluma futhi belawula umkhakha.
“Isithembiso esenziwa yizifunda sokuqinisekisa ukuthi amazambane athengiswa ngamakhilo futhi ama-broker aqediwe kufanele asetshenziswe. Njengamanje ziningi izethembiso kodwa akukho zinyathelo ezithathwayo, ”usho kanje. Kepha le ndaba yehlukile kuGeorge Rugene, ogcina ngokuthi ukulima amazambane kusazuzisa. “Kimina ulwazi lwami belungikhuthaza. Imfihlo ukutshala imali ezinhlotsheni ezinhle zembewu futhi uyithambekele kahle. Ngikhulisa uShangi futhi angikaze ngintule imakethe yawo, ”kusho uRugene.
Izinhlobo zamazambane eShangi zitshalwa iningi labalimi bamazambane esifundeni iNyandarua, okungumkhiqizi ohamba phambili walesi sitshalo ezweni. I-Shangi iyathandwa ngoba ivuthwa ngokushesha, ipheka kahle futhi inambitheka kamnandi uma ithosiwe ejulile ikwenza kube ukukhetha okukhethwa yizindawo zokudlela ezisheshayo. NgoRugene, kuzo zonke izitshalo ezilinywa eNyandarua, amazambane anjalo ayikaze ilahlwe yize isimo sisibi kangakanani.
“Ngike ngabona abantu bondla izinkomo zabo amaklabishi ngenxa yokudla okugcwele emakethe, kodwa angikaze ngibone amazambane enikezwa izilwane,” kuphawula yena. Kepha yize ethembisa, uRugene unxusa ohulumeni bakazwelonke nabesifunda ukuthi benze imbewu yamazambane eqinisekisiwe itholakale kubalimi ngamanani oxhaso.
Izinkinga zokupakisha zabalimi bamazambane
Iziphathimandla zezokweluleka kufanele futhi zeluleke abalimi ukuthi babhekane kanjani namakhaza amakhulu okuholela kaningi ekwehlulekeni kwezitshalo.
“Uhulumeni kufanele enze ucwaningo lokuthi angasinqanda kanjani isimo esibandayo INyandarua ekulimaleni isivuno samazambane. Isimo sezulu esibandayo singasusa sonke isivuno, ”kusho uRugene. Uma ubheka emuva, umlimi oselime lesi sitshalo kusukela ngonyaka ka-2000, ukhumbula ukuthi abantu abaningi bazama ukulima amazambane ngenkathi uhulumeni kamongameli osethathe umhlalaphansi uMwai Kibaki enikeza abalimi umanyolo oshibhile. Kuma-broker, uRugene uthi bavame ukungena kuhla lwamanani ukuze bazuze ngokuphelelwa yithemba kwabalimi abahlala befuna imali yokulungisa umhlaba wabo futhi bathenge umanyolo wesikhathi esizayo sokutshala.
URugene unxusa uMnyango Wezolimo ukuthi ucabange kabusha umthetho ovimbela ukuthengiswa kwamazambane emasakeni amakhulu anesisindo esingaphezu kwama-50kgs. Umphathi wezoLimo Dr UJames Karitu uthi ukuphoqelelwa yemithethonqubo ayiphumelelanga ngenxa yokuxega kwezinye izifunda. ENyandarua, uKaritu uthi kube nobudedengu ekusetshenzisweni komthetho ngenxa yokuvalwa kwezinkantolo zomthetho ezimbili ezisebenzela i-County - Engineer kanye neNyahururu ngenxa yobhadane lweCovid-19.