Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
FARMERS from rehabilitated irrigation schemes have been linked to markets, service providers and suppliers as part of efforts to ensure sustainability of the projects.
21 schemes have been rehabilitated under the Building Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Livelihoods in Southern Zimbabwe programme. Under the programme private sector dialogue meetings have been conducted, bringing together farmers and companies. The dialogues have been held for farmers in Manicaland, Masvingo and Matabeleland South.
The programme is being implemented by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in partnership with the Green Climate Fund and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Speaking during a dialogue meeting at Midlo Irrigation Scheme the project’s climate smart agriculture expert, Dr Nelson Chanza said this engagement is a significant milestone in the course of the project as there is need to sustain the schemes. He said a major way of sustaining the schemes is to ensure that farmers network with the private sector so they can continue to produce independently even after the project.
“This is a very significant event where we have invited the private sector and the irrigation schemes. For this particular engagement we have converged farmers from Masholomoshe and Midlo Irrigation Schemes. We have linked them with the private sector with the objective of establishing partnerships.
“We need these partnerships to make sure that farmers would then transform to farming as a business. This is a clear demonstration of farming as a business concept that the CGF project and Government of Zimbabwe is promoting,” he said.
Dr Chanza said farmers have been linked with partners who provide various farming input such as seed, fertilisers, chemicals, service providers that work with farmers. He said focus is also on market driven production to ensure that farmers can access markets. Dr Chanza said the desire is to have companies engage in contract farming with the irrigation scheme holders to ensure a ready market.
“This will ensure meaningful transformation as farmers will be able to satisfy their production demands where the farmers are also able to ensure that whenever they produce there is guaranteed off taker so that they get income for the purposes of maintaining or sustaining these schemes.
“One of the challenges that farmers in the irrigation schemes encounter is access to finance. That’s we have also brought in farmers from the financial sector who can offer loans and also engage in contract farming so that they farmers can get much need agricultural implements like tractors,” he said.
Dr Chanza said irrigation schemes that have been rehabilitated under the GCF project range from 20 to 400 hectares hence the need for them to be supported with equipment in order to ease the burden of land preparation.
@DubeMatutu
