Citrine plantation for Mberengwa

Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
Government will soon establish a citrine plantation at Manyuchi Dam in Mberengwa as one of the anchor projects aimed at producing export quality horticultural and floricultural products, an official has said.

In an interview, Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement Deputy Minister Davis Marapira said Government was eying the European horticulture market.

Deputy Minister Marapira said Government was now prioritising horticulture as there was growing demand of horticultural and floricultural products in Europe.

He said Government had embarked on a citrus plants project and would be putting up plantations across the country.
“We are establishing citrus plantations across the country. In Midlands we have identified Manyuchi Dam at the border of Mberengwa and Mwenezi where we want to put a citrus plantation.

We are now shifting our focus to horticulture. We want to put Avocado plantations, macadamia nuts, oranges, fibreless mangoes and lemons, among other fruits.

There is growing demand of these products in Europe,” he said.
Deputy Minister Marapira said Government was going to prepare 1 000 hectares that would be put under floricultural production in Mazoe.

He said some of the horticultural products and fruits that Government aims to produce for export were macadamia nuts, avocados, lemons, oranges, fibreless mangoes and many others.

“We envisage a scenario where horticulture becomes the best foreign currency earner ahead of tobacco. We want to utilise our water bodies in the forthcoming winter cropping season. All this is in our two-year agricultural plan. We are planning on putting 300 000 ha under irrigation.

What we want to impart to our farmers and people in general is the need to start harvesting water,” he said.
Deputy Minister Marapira said Government was in the process of equipping the irrigation schemes with centre pivots and other mechanisation equipment to maximise production during the winter cropping season.

“As was announced that we received 80 centre pivots from Spain, we are expecting 50 more before the winter cropping season.
Those that we have received we have started distributing and installing them,” he said.