admin
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
WHEAT farmers have been assured of adequate irrigation water during this winter season by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
Speaking at the Wheat Based Food Security: Zimbabwe’s Best Foot Forward conference held by Zimpapers in partnership with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in Harare today, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Professor Obert Jiri said wheat farmers should not worry as there is adequate water for the winter wheat season.
The conference was attended by stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
Speaking at the conference, Prof Jiri said there is adequate water to achieve this year’s target of 120 000 hectares of winter wheat.
There is enough water for any farmer that wants to grow wheat,” he said.
“We have seen some people who are saying there is no water and so forth. The statistics show something different. Those that are learned say numbers do not lie. So, somebody looked in a dam and said this dam has inadequate water, it is a lie, it is not like last year.
“The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) will tell you that if you want to satisfy your eyes, we will open the valve upstream for you.”
Professor Jiri said in terms of water provision, farmers should believe in what Zinwa provides, not what they see.
“The water comes from Osborne, it is there in the sand. They even used sandier construction pumps to extract water from the sand to irrigate. So, it is not what we see, it is what the utility tells us and we instructed the Zinwa people to visit every farmer and ensure that they have enough water to irrigate.
“This is the commitment that the Zinwa chief executive officer and his team have made. Any farmer is free to approach Zinwa and get assistance in terms of water requirements,” said Prof Jiri.
Online Reporter