Increase Gumbo
MIRROR REPORTER

CHIREDZI- Mkwasine Management Committee (MMC), a grouping of sugarcane farmers in Mkwasine, has procured a US$278 000 grader to assist Chiredzi Rural District Council (CRDC) in rehabilitating the 107km road network in the area.
The grader was unveiled on Wednesday at Mkwasine Country Club.
Chiredzi District Development Coordinator (DDC) Lovemore Chisema was the guest of honour.
MMC was formed in 2020. Mkwasine has a 107km road network, and the local authority services 57km of the network while the farmers service 50km.
MMC chairperson Tawanda Mafurutu said most farmers were losing cane during transportation to mills owing to bad roads.
“When we came into office in 2020, the roads were dilapidated, and sugarcane farmers were losing money on spillages when transporting cane to mills,” said Mafurutu.
Chisema hailed the committee for purchasing a grader.
MMC secretary general Blessing Mahwerera said their members raised the money for the grader from May 2022 to March 2023.
“MMC has 228 farmers, and each farmer was contributing US$38, 50 per hectare, and that is how we raised funds to purchase the grader.
“We also realised that we were losing money by hiring third parties to maintain our roads, so we did the math and decided to procure our own equipment so that we do the job on our own since the roads in sugarcane farms need routine maintenance,” said Mahwerera.