Binga villagers strike gold

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BINGA villagers could soon be smiling all the way to the bank, literally, as they have won an international contract to supply a medicinal plant, used to prevent heart failure to international pharmaceutical companies, with the potential to see them rake in millions of dollars.

BINGA villagers could soon be smiling all the way to the bank, literally, as they have won an international contract to supply a medicinal plant, used to prevent heart failure to international pharmaceutical companies, with the potential to see them rake in millions of dollars.

Richard Muponde Senior Reporter

The indigenous strophanthus, known in Binga as tjotjokulumpalumpa, is a poisonous plant, which is traditionally used to catch fish as its toxic element makes the fish’s heart stop.

Strophanthus is a subfamily of flowering plants in the species of aponynaceae (family of flowering plants).

It is native primarily to tropical Africa, extending to South Africa through Zimbabwe, with a few species in Asia from southern India to New Guinea and southern China.

Several of the African tribes used strophanthus as the principal ingredient in hunting arrow poison.

Orally administered, the drug acts on the heart before influencing any other organ or tissue.

It is used to produce the drug Quabain, which was taken as a cardiac stimulant to treat heart failure.

The lucrative deal was announced by the director of Kaite Trust, Dominic Collernberg, whose organisation is working with Sikalenge Ward villagers in harvesting the plant to sell to international pharmaceutical companies. The trust is also into Rosella farming.

Rosella is used to make tea, jelly and jam. Villagers also harvest baobab fruits used to manufacture juice, yoghurt and mahewu in the district.

Kaite trains thousands of small-scale farmers around Zimbabwe in cultivating and processing organic herbs and spices to be sold at international trade fair markets.

During a presentation to the director of USAid Zimbabwe Mission, Melissa Williams, whose organisation funds the projects, Collernberg said they had been contracted to harvest the plant in Binga because of its high quality internationally.

“International pharmaceuticals were getting the plant from West Africa, but had problems with its quality there,” she said.

“They then discovered that the plant which is produced here in Binga is of high quality and is the best on the world market.

“The pharmaceuticals then contracted us after facing problems in getting a high quality plant and asked us to produce it. We are very thankful for that.”

Farmers also produce Rosella whose leaves are used to produce tea, which has been described as second best in the world besides black tea.

Collenberg said Rosella is used to produce jam, pizza and juice, among variety of foods.

Baobab juice and yoghurt were already being sold on the Zimbabwean market.

About 65 farmers are involved in the project from the ward.

The project is being implemented by Hilfswerk Austria International and the World Food Programme.