adminGeorge Maponga : Masvingo Bureau
Communal farmers with irrigation schemes countrywide should embrace contract farming and enter lucrative joint ventures to attract capital for infrastructural development, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development (Cropping) Davis Marapira said yesterday. He said this was part of Government’s new thrust to make that sure all water bodies countrywide were used to produce food.The comes as several communal irrigation schemes around the country were struggling to stay afloat owing to problems ranging from dilapidated infrastructure and obsolete pumps.
Several irrigation schemes in Masvingo such as Arda Mkwasine in Chiredzi, Mushandike, Rupangwana, Fuve-Panganai among others were operating way below capacity.
Cde Marapira said Government wanted public private partnerships to revive the country’s irrigation potential.
He said communal irrigation schemes were free to enter into joint ventures with individuals or organisations with capital needed to ramp up production to ensure food security.
“We have already made it clear that communal irrigation schemes should enter into contract farming and joint ventures with those with capital so that there is investment to procure things such as centre pivots, new pumps and rehabilitate canals because we want all water bodies in the country to be optimally used,’’ he said.
“As Government, we do not come up with policies based on a person’s colour so communal irrigation schemes and any other farms can be run under joint ventures with anyone,’’ he added.
Cde Marapira said those who underutilised water bodies would be kicked off their land.
“We are going to give our people ample time to make sure water bodies near them are fully utilised to produce food and those who will remain adamant will lose their land because as Government, we are very serious about the need to be self-reliant in food production as a nation.’’
He said Government would gauge the success rate of the ongoing programme to use all water bodies to produce food after a period of between three to five years.
Cde Marapira said the revival of the Agricultural Rural and Development Authority (Arda) was a classic example of the success stories associated with Public Private Partnerships.
Arda’s fortunes have been on a rebound on the back of joint ventures and partnerships that have seen the once struggling firm diversifying operations into cattle rearing, maize and sugar cane production at its estates dotted around the country.
Online Reporter