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About Us
Nestled in the foothills of Chimanimani, Zimbabwe, Dombera Farm produces top quality stone fruit, vegetables and niche flowers for export globally. We strive to produce our products in a way that protects and enhances the environment, is ethical and ensures food safety.
Through our work with our local community we are supporting smallholder farmers to access international markets. We are providing them with top quality plant genetics and helping them to adopt sustainable farming techniques that protect their natural resources and boost their incomes. We assist with training, act as a centralised hub to grade and package products, provide transport and ultimately create market linkages. We are one of five lead firms in Zimbabwe selected to participate in the UK Trade Partnerships Programme (UKTP).
Dombera Farm is GLOBAL GAP certified and registered on SMETA.
Our endeavours are not limited to farming. We pride ourselves as a key part of our community and offer help and support whenever we can, including transporting goods and services to support local groups, donating fruit for sports events and charities and have helped to fence the local National Park to help protect the wildlife living there.
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Our Vision
Dombera Farm’s vision is to be a top horticultural producer at the forefront of our community, empowering local farmers to produce crops sustainably and enabling their businesses to grow and develop alongside our own.
We wish to become a central hub for Chimanimani producers. A place where farmers can access top quality genetics, training and expertise, grading and cold room facilities, transport and market linkages enabling them to access international markets.
Through our established nursery, we will provide farmers access to top quality plant genetics. This will enable them to achieve higher yields, produce their crop more sustainably (for example with the use of less plant protection products) and access the best markets for their produce because they will be growing the varieties that the market wants.
Our team has vast experience and expertise and can offer support and training in all aspects of horticultural businesses. From growing crops, implementing internationally approved quality management systems to grading and cold chain management.
Chillie Community Project
Empowering communities - African Birdseye Chillies from small scale farmers in the Chimanimani Mountains of Zimbabwe
"Peri Peri" is a way of life here. Our beautiful red, spicy chillies add amazing flavour and colour to any meal. Their versatility means they can be a core ingredient or be used more subtly such as an addition to olive oil to make a spicy dressing, ground into a spice for that game time snack or made into delicious chutneys to accompany meals.
However these are no ordinary chillies. They are helping to empower a community of small holder farmers to grow export quality produce whilst protecting our environment. What's more these farmers are growing them using mostly organic products to control pests and diseases for a truly sustainable chillie you can sink your teeth into.
Our Story
In 2019 Cyclone Idai put Chimanimani on the map for all the wrong reasons. She took away people’s families, livelihoods and infrastructure. There wasn’t one person in our community who did not lose a family member or friend. This experience made us rethink our whole business strategy. We had always wanted to be a central hub for small holder farmers in the wider Chimanimani area but now it became a central theme. We wanted to offer people hope for the future.
With support from a range of people including Chief Chikukwa and The Chikukwa Ecological Land Use Community Trust (CELUCT) we met with small holder farmers and invited them to grow chillies for us on part of their farm. This is the first time these farmers have grown produce for export. Dombera Farm has provided the chillie seedlings for the growers from our own nursery, subsidised inputs, run training, built infrastructure and are out visiting the farmers on a regular basis. We have given people hope.
Dombera was one of five firms in Zimbabwe selected to participate in the UK Trade Partnerships (UKTP) programme seeking to link small holder farmers with markets in the UK/EU. We are grateful for the support of Empower Bank who have provided finance for the farmers so that they can follow the fertiliser and biological pest control programme to grow the crop.
Although this is the first year of our project, we have aspirations to find funding to install cold storage at the CELUCT project sites to enable the farmers to grow a greater range of export crops.
Three words to sum the small holder chillies up? Sustainable, Ethical and Healthy.
Our Products & Nursery
Peaches
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Dombera Farm’s most popular varieties of peach are our dessert peaches - Temptation and Transvalia and our white peach Snow Angel. Sun ripened to be sweet and juicy, they are guaranteed to put a smile on anyone’s face and they are incredibly versatile. Delicious fresh or cooked as part of a main course or dessert. What’s more they are incredibly good for you – packed with nutrients and antioxidants.
Sugar Snap Peas
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A favourite in our kid’s lunch boxes, Dombera sugar snap peas are sweet and crunchy. They are eaten whole (with the pod) and can be raw or cooked. They make a tasty snack, add sweetness and texture in a salad, add crunch to a stir fry and can be eaten as an accompanying vegetable.
Nectarines
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With a name like Royal Ruby you know this nectarine is going to be good. A deep red in colour with sweet, succulent fruit.
Eryngium – Supernova Questar
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The cool climate of Chimanimani makes the Dombera Eryngium Supernova a beautiful blue colour. This flower gives extra character to bouquets and flower arrangements around the world.
African Birdseye Chillies
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Known locally as “Peri Peri” African Birdseye Chillies have been eaten by people for centuries and are said to increase our lifespan.
Our beautiful red, spicy chillies add amazing flavour and colour to any meal. Their versatility means they can be a core ingredient or be used more subtly such as an addition to olive oil to make a spicy dressing, ground into a spice for that game time snack or made into delicious chutneys to accompany meals. Read about the small holder farmers growing chillies for Dombera Farm.
Hypericum
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Dombera Farm grows two Kolster varieties of Hypericum - Magical Green Revival (green berries) and Magical Lightning (red berries) for the cut flower market. These beautiful berries and deep green leaves add colour and texture to bouquets.
Mange Tout
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Also known as the snow pea, the French “Mange Tout” means to “eat all”. A flat, podded pea that is deliciously cooked in stir-fries and salads.
Nursery
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Growing for commercial and small scale producers alike, Dombera Farm’s nursery produces top quality seedlings to order for a range of fruit, nut and vegetable products. Providing growers access to top genetics for healthier seedlings (GMO free). Please contact us for more information.