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Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
Farmers have welcomed the move taken by Government to reduce raw water tariffs for farms using water from Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) managed dams countrywide. Government also reviewed downwards tariffs for industries and mines managed by Zinwa.
Zinwa public relations manager Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said the new tariffs entail a reduction of 27 percent for A2 farmers and 40 percent for A1 farmers. Communal farmers had their tariffs slashed by 56 percent while tariffs for estates were increased by 27 percent.
The new tariffs are effective from December 1, and are meant to encourage small-scale farmers to take up irrigation water and allow Zinwa to mobilise resources for the maintenance of existing dams and related water infrastruc- ture.
The Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president, Mr Wonder Chabikwa, yesterday said the reduction of water tariffs was a positive move that would result in the lowering of costs of production.
He said water charges had been one of the major challenges in agriculture.
“We have been advocating the reduction of water tariffs to increase agriculture viability. The water charges were high, especially when Zinwa took over. This discouraged the full utilisation of water sources.
“We expect to see an increase in irrigation and this will improve production and improve food security,” he said.
Mr Chabikwa said the same move should be taken on electricity which he said was vital for irrigation.
“We also expect electricity charges to be reduced, so that farmers can increase production and supply the manufacturing sector with raw materials,” he said.
Zimbabwe Indigenous Women Farmers Association Trust president Mrs Depinah Nkomo said the reduction of water tariffs was going to make an impact, especially to the small-scale farmers who were the chief food producers.
“We hope the irrigation equipment will also become affordable. Irrigation is important in agriculture, especially due to climate change that has resulted in unpredictable rainfall seasons.
“We hope the whole value chain will be adjusted. The irrigation equipment should be affordable as well as electricity and water charges,” she said.
Mrs Nkomo urged local irrigation equipment suppliers to assist farmers with loans so that they can buy machinery such as pipes and tractors.
According to Zinwa, the reduction in water charges will encourage efficient water use and at the same time allow Zinwa to raise resources for the completion of new water projects.
Zinwa said the reduction of water tariffs was in line with President Mugabe’s 10-point plan which was anchored on the re-vitalisation of agriculture and the agro-processing value chain.
The move is also in sync with other Government programmes aimed at improving the country’s agricultural performance, such as the distribution of irrigation equipment sourced through bilateral arrangements with countries such as Brazil, India and South Korea, to small-scale farmers.
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