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Victor Maphosa Mashonaland East Bureau
A 100-hectare irrigation scheme has been set up in Ward 6 of Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe district to benefit about 200 households, as the Second Republic fulfils its mantra of leaving no one and no place behind in developmental programmes.
The scheme is now above 95 percent complete.
Already, the piping, land clearing, as well as electrification is complete as Government, through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, implements the plan with speed.
Water to irrigate the area is drawn from Saparanyambuya Dam, which was constructed about two decades ago, but was used only for livestock drinking and watering some small gardens by a few people.
The irrigation scheme now makes full use of the water.
Government has availed two tractors to assist beneficiaries in doing farming activities in the area.
The irrigation scheme is expected to boost incomes of the beneficiaries in terms of cash and enough food for the district.
Acting director Agricultural and Rural Development Services (Aards) for Mashonaland East Mr Learnard Munamati said farmers will start by winter wheat at the scheme.
“So the irrigation scheme is almost 99 percent complete and all the infrastructure is now in place and the system testing started last week so it means we are now ready to establish the crop,” he said.
“The system is ready to irrigate the crop. We are quite excited. We are going to start with wheat this coming winter.
“We are also coming up with a cropping programme so that our farmers will do horticultural crops. We will link them to markets so that their produce will have a market and that way, it will assist them to get money that can allow them to continue farming and improve their standards of living.
“It is an achievement for the people in Mutawatawa to have such a programme.”
In an interview with The Herald in Mutawatawa over the weekend, UMP District Development Coordinator Mr Douglas Hungwa said the scheme will transform the lives of people, given the area is in ecological region 4, which experiences erratic rains.
“Chiutsi and Makuvatsine villagers in ward 6, are going to benefit directly from this scheme. We saw it fit to site the irrigation scheme in Saparanyambuya because the dam has sufficient water,” he said.
“The scheme is important especially now that climate change is here, we experience a lot of dry spells, so this project will ensure that people will not rely on rain fed farming. They can irrigate their crops with the harvested water throughout the year.
“This means there is employment creation, improvement of livelihoods at household level, there is also improvement of food security and nutrition at household level.
“We look forward as a district that this scheme will help us. We want to thank President Mnangagwa for bringing that project to UMP district.”
Maramba Pfungwe legislator Mr Tichaona Karumazondo thanked the Second Republic for the development, adding that the scheme will absolutely transform the people’s lives.
“This is the first Government established irrigation scheme in the UMP district and we are excited about it,” he said.
“The scheme will bring a source of income for the people. Some will be able to send their children to school using proceeds from the irrigation scheme.
“The livelihoods of people will definitely change. The temperatures in that area are most suitable for horticulture and farmers will get good money from that. UMP is in region 4 and we receive erratic rains so the irrigation scheme comes at the right time for the people.”
Ward 6 Councillor, Cde Shepherd Mushamba, said the scheme would be key to food security for the people of UMP.
“We want to thank President Mnangagwa for this irrigation scheme,” he said.
“We have been given two tractors to be used on the scheme. This irrigation will go a long way in assisting the people of UMP in terms of food security. People are happy here and are ready to do commercial agriculture.”
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to The Herald, Mrs Onisten Marekere, thanked the Second Republic for the first ever large irrigation scheme in the district.
“I am thankful to President Mnangagwa for this irrigation scheme,” Mrs Marekere said. “The President has done a good thing for us. We will use this scheme and earn a living. We will make money. I am happy.
“I am appealing to Government now to rehabilitate the road which leads to the Saparanyambuya Dam where the irrigation scheme is established so that we have easy access to the scheme and to our business centre.”
Mrs Matanhiko from Makuvatsine Village, who is also a beneficiary of the scheme, commended the development, adding that her life will be transformed through farming activities she will be doing at the irrigation scheme.
“I am happy that President Mnangagwa has done this for us in UMP. Our lives will be transformed and we will benefit a lot from this scheme. I am planning to work hard and my dream to buy a car will be fulfilled through farming,” she said.
Mr Ezekiel Chiutsi from Chiutsi Village said they are ready to carry out farming activities at the scheme.
“This programme has come at the right time for us. Government of the Second Republic is working hard for the people, some people may choose not see the good works Government is doing but we are very much alive to the hard work the Second Republic is doing for us and we commend it for that,” he said.
“Irrigation schemes will make it easy to conduct farming activities here in UMP. This will transform our lives, we will have enough food for ourselves and we will also sell our produce and earn some money. We used to have small gardens, so working in the scheme will not be hard. We welcome this development.”
A youth, Mr Ngoni Marekere said what the Second Republic has done in UMP is a fulfilment of President Mnangagwa’s mantra that no one and no place should be left behind as developmental projects are being carried out across the country.
“This dam was constructed about two decades ago but the harvested water was just idle. However, the coming in of the Second Republic has changed that and now that water will be used for farming activities through this irrigation scheme,” he said.
“I am thankful as a youth and a beneficiary of Government projects. I am going to get money from farming and also food for my family. Such projects are benefitting youths more because they will be occupied all day and there will be no time for doing drug and substance abuse.
“We are appealing to authorities to rehabilitate our road to the irrigation scheme so that we can access our markets easily. We are also appealing for markets such that we can benefit from our farming activities.”
Online Reporter