adminMidlands Correspondent
MBERENGWA South representative in the National Assembly Cde Chiratidzo Mabuwa has donated small grain seed to more than 2 000 communal and smallholder farmers from her constituency to promote small grain farming in the area.
Speaking at the Mberengwa South Farmers Day Celebrations on Friday, Cde Mabuwa said there was a need for farmers in Mberengwa to migrate from subsistence farming and maize cropping to commercial small grain farming as these were suitable for the natural regions four and five.
“Mberengwa is in the natural region five while some parts are in region four. So basically the area is semi-arable and with this initiative we are trying to encourage farmers to grow small grains as well as utilising big water bodies around Mberengwa. It is a region suitable for small grain not maize. We want them to migrate from subsistence farming to commercial farming. They should take farming as an economic activity,” she said.
Cde Mabuwa, who is also Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister said there were strategic and well equipped irrigation schemes in Mberengwa that required $7 million to be up and running. She said once resuscitated, the irrigation schemes could benefit over 2 000 families and feed the entire Mberengwa District.
“In Mberengwa we have some big water bodies that are under-utilised. At our border with Mwenezi District, we have Manyuchi Dam and at Mataga we have Mundi-Mataga Dam. The dam here at Mataga has not been fully utilised for the last 12 years. We also have irrigation schemes that have potential to feed the entire districts. We have over 1 000 hectares of land that can be irrigated. We have Chaora Irrigation Scheme which has 436 hectares, Chamakudo has over 300 hectares and Hunyani. These irrigations schemes including Biri and Biri extension have a potential of benefitting over 2 000 families.
“The irrigations schemes also require $7 million to be up and running,” said Cde Mabuwa. — @Munya-Musiiwa
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derick.khumalo