Chivi poised for bumper harvest

George Maponga

Masvingo Bureau

Chivi is on the cusp of a bumper harvest this year thanks to the $8 million Chombwe Piped Water Scheme that has seen smallholder farmers in some parts of the usually dry district irrigating their Pfumvudza crops using water from the project.

President Mnangagwa commissioned the revived scheme in December last year, in an epochal development that set Chivi on the road to food security, as Chombwe can directly benefit 10 000 households.

The water scheme was revived with a war chest from Government’s devolution programme.

Households along the water pipeline are now able to draw water for irrigating small gardens or fields of Pfumvudza crops, while there is also scope for using the water for domestic purposes, including drinking by humans and livestock.

However, the biggest beneficiary of the water scheme has been the Pfumvudza project, with individual farmers complementing rain water with the piped one from Chombwe.

At the commissioning of the scheme, President Mnangagwa hailed Chombwe as a model project that ought to be replicated in other parts of the country.

President Mnangagwa lauded the project as being in sync with Government’s agenda to engender food security at household level and make Zimbabwe a net food exporter using the nation’s abundant, but idle water bodies. Now, communities in and around the Chombwe area are upbeat about prospects of a bumper harvest courtesy of the revived water scheme.

Besides irrigating Pfumvudza plots and small gardens, plans are in motion to venture into fruit trees growing on commercial basis.

A demonstration field developed by Agritex near Chombwe Hill where maize, sorghum, rapoko, sunflower and cow peas were planted is now the envy of surrounding communities with its thriving crops.

Communities in and around Chombwe now appreciate the efficacy of the Pfumvudza model as a climate proof way to ensure bumper harvests in the face of climate change.

Provincial Agritex Officer Mr Aaron Muchazivepi expressed optimism of a bumper harvest in Chivi, thanks to the Pfumvudza concept, which has been complimented by water from Chombwe.

“The crops are in a very excellent condition,” he said. “The Pfumvudza model has demonstrated that food security can be addressed at household level even in the arid to semi arid regions.

“Chivi district is in Region 5 (which receives little rains), but looking at the condition of the crops (at Chombwe) it is unbelievable.”

According to Mr Muchazivepi, the condition of the crops around Chombwe demonstrated that it was possible to grow any crop variety anywhere under Pfumvudza.

“We want to utilise all watering points along the pipeline to grow crops all year round going into the future to enhance the district’s food security while also boosting incomes for rural households,” he said.

Mr Muchazivepi hailed the Chombwe Scheme as a panacea to recurrent food shortages in Chivi with scope for all year round crop production.

This was echoed by Chivi Rural District Council chair Godfrey Mukungunugwa who noted that piped water project had changed the food security matrix in the traditionally dry district.

“I think the crop situation (Pfumvudza) in areas around Chombwe now is enough testament that Government policies are making positive changes in the lives of our people,” he said.

“Chombwe Scheme has helped improve the crop situation in Chivi and the district is on the path towards food sufficiency.”

Cllr Mukungunugwa disclosed that good rains that have filled Muzhwi Dam would consolidate ongoing plans to make Chivi the breadbasket of Masvingo.

“We have good soils here in Chivi and our Achilles heel was poor and erratic rains, but the advent of Chombwe means nothing will stop us from all year crop production, moreso now that Muzhwi Dam has already filled up and is spilling,” he said. “Good times lie ahead indeed in the sphere of agriculture.”

Water for the scheme is drawn from Tugwi River downstream of Muzhwi and Cllr Mukungunugwa wants communities to expand into production of cash crops such as cotton and even horticulture to boost household incomes.

Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira said the success story at Chombwe was testament of the visionary leadership obtaining in the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa. He said there was huge scope to replicate Chombwe and transform Masvingo into a national bread basket using the high dam density in the province.

“We have many idle dams across Masvingo and we can tape that water for developing similar schemes to Chombwe in all our districts here and this will no doubt make us Zimbabwe’s breadbasket with all year round crop production,” said Minister Chadzamira.

Chombwe had been mothballed for close to two decades after water pumping, conveyancing and storage infrastructure became obsolete before the new dispensation revived it in line with Vision 2030.

Its revival is now expected to give impetus to the growth of Chivi Growth Point, Mhandamabwe and Chibi Turn-Off business centres, with agro-processing firms and related companies billed to set up shop once the envisaged cash crops production reaches full scale.