Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has acquired 30 tractors with disc ploughs each for the Umfolo/Makandiwa soil and water conservation blitz as part of the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy that seeks to achieve a US$8,5 billion agriculture economy by 2025.
The soil and water conservation blitz national programme was launched in Mashonaland West province in June this year and it was based on the realisation that as part of a trajectory of attaining Vision 2030, improving agriculture production and productivity for the attainment of national and household food and nutrition security remained top priority for the Second Republic.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Matabeleland North provincial soil and water conservation blitz launch held at the homestead of radio and television legend Mr Haile Velaphi Mlangeni in Ward 16, Umguza district on Thursday, acting director in the Division of Soil Conservation and Post-Harvest Technologies in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Engineer Herbert Gutu said the target was for each district in the country to have a tractor for the project to be a success.
He said climate change being experienced at global level also contributed to serious losses of soil which in turn negatively affected agriculture output hence creating a dent in achieving set and achievable agricultural objectives.
“The soil conservation and water blitz programme was implemented after the realisation that over the years soil conservation was being neglected. We have seen siltation of our rivers and dams. We have also seen the effects of climate change through either heavy rains in areas previously known as dry lands as well as very low rains in areas with normal or above normal rains which then affects our agricultural output as a nation.
“In this blitz we are saying let’s put our heads together as farmers and community because all life depends on soil and water. You cannot do any agricultural activity without this critical resource hence we all need to work in unison and stop this serious land degradation,” said Eng Gutu.
He said his team was visiting provinces to launch the programme and Government has so far acquired 30 tractors for the programme.
“Our target is for each district to have a tractor,” said Eng Gutu.
He said while the method has been used before, especially before independence, when blacks were forced to make contour ridges using picks and shovels by white settlers, Government was now mechanising it for maximum benefits.
“It is faster to use tractors than the traditional way of picks and shovels which is labour intensive. We are therefore mechanising that as a ministry,” said Eng Gutu.
In his keynote address, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka, in a speech read on his behalf by the Matabeleland North director for Governance, Mr Tapera Mugoriya, said the soil and water conservation blitz will primarily involve the national pegging and construction of mechanical contours (imfolo) on two million hectares of arable and non-arable land.
“The Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy seeks to achieve a US$8,5 billion agriculture economy by 2025. This strategy is a composite plan of action drawn from the Agriculture recovery plan, Horticulture Recovery and Growth Plan and Livestock growth plans. These strategies enhance the attainment of Vision 2030 which is anchored on National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
The major resource required to achieve the objectives of all these blueprints is soil and water. Soil is one of the existentially vital resources for humans animals and plants. It provides habitats for soil organisms, purifies and stores water, filters pollutants and is the most important terrestrial carbon sink on earth. Soils are however under pressure around the globe, soil erosion is now a global issue that is affecting agricultural production and productivity causing food insecurity and ecosystem instability,” said Minister Masuka.
He said siltation was affecting water bodies that included dams, weirs, and rivers resulting in their drying up which caused a consequential reduction of much-needed water for irrigation, livestock and domestic use and as such the soil and water conservation blitz programme will thus conserve soil and water resources while reducing siltation of rivers ad dams for the benefit of communities.
“The construction of contours fits very well in climate-smart agriculture context where we want to increase productivity, improve resilience and reduce carbon emissions to mitigate against effects of climate change. The construction units will be accessed through districts service clusters with the participation of key stakeholders that include Agritex, Environment Management Agency (EMA) and local traditional leaders,” said Minister Masuka.
Londile Moyo
Bongani Ndlovu