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Walter Nyamukondiwa in ZVIMBA
Government has moved a gear up in its efforts to consolidate the success of Command Agriculture by resuscitating communal irrigation schemes.
The irrigation resuscitation scheme is expected to increase the contribution of communal and A1 farmers to the hugely successful Government sponsored food initiative programme.
It will feed into the overall Government irrigation rehabilitation programme, where farmers are expected to receive centre pivots in line with ideals of the Command Agriculture programme to ensure food sufficiency.
Under a $200 000 irrigation resuscitation programme being spearheaded by the District Development Fund (DDF), at least eight of the 63 irrigation schemes countrywide will be rehabilitated to irrigate the early summer crop under the Command Agriculture programme. One of the schemes at Lazenby Farm in Kutama, Zvimba, has been resuscitated through a $40 000 injection which saw the installation of pumps, pipes, repair of motors and restoration of electricity.
Speaking during a tour of Lazenby Irrigation Scheme on Wednesday, DDF water supplies director Mr Edwin Toriro said the programme was in line with the 10 Point Plan enunciated by President Mugabe. “The move to resuscitate communal irrigation schemes is in line with a Cabinet directive to the effect that they have to be resuscitated urgently,” said Mr Toriro.
“As DDF, we have 63 such schemes throughout the country that are at various levels of development and we have selected eight of them, one in each province as the low hanging fruit.”
The Lazenby scheme has managed to put at least 20 hectares of wheat under the Command Agriculture programme.
DDF provincial coordinators toured the scheme and are expected to replicate its success, which is expected to feed a further 500 hectares of irrigable land under the Command Agriculture programme.
The programme anchored on two components, including irrigation and rain-fed cropping, has enabled the country to realise a bumper harvest of maize of this year.
The programme is expected to spread to other crops such as soya beans and livestock.
Mr Toriro said the programme was initially expected to avail land for the Command winter wheat crop, but it is now expected to be ready by end of August.
After completion of the eight irrigation schemes, Mr Toriro said, DDF would move to the remaining projects, which required more budgetary support from Government.
He bemoaned vandalism of irrigation equipment and called on the Rural Electrification Agency to assist in restoring power to some of the affected areas.
Chairman of the project Mr Maplani Chitsuro said the three million cubic metres dam at the farm was being underutilised.
Online Reporter