Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare
A US$120 000 investment from the Government’s Grain Levy has revived the long-dormant Nyaitenga Irrigation Scheme in Mutoko, restoring 20 hectares to full production and transforming livelihoods for more than 50 farming families
The rehabilitation, financed through the Agricultural Marketing Fund administered by the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA), marks one of the first completed irrigation projects under the Grain Levy established through Statutory Instrument 87 of 2025.
The project involved repairing the main pipeline, replacing damaged filters and drip lines, procuring a new pump for the drip section and extending the scheme by an additional three hectares to accommodate young farmers.
Grain Levy revenues have so far funded irrigation infrastructure initiatives, with more than US$3,2 million and ZiG29 million already deployed towards the projects under the Agricultural Marketing Fund.
Speaking during the handover of the rehabilitated scheme to farmers and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), AMA marketing and public relations manager Ms Tina Nleya said the project demonstrated Government’s commitment to reinvesting Grain Levy proceeds to boost agricultural production and strengthen food security.
“What we are seeing here today is the utilisation of the Grain Levy under SI 87 of 2025, which is being collected by the Agricultural Marketing Authority and deposited into an Agricultural Marketing Fund,” she said.
” What we are also trying to do as the authority is aggregate production so that we can get better markets for the different people that are Nyaitenga Irrigation Scheme.”
Ms Nleya said once a production cycle had been established, AMA was able to secure markets for the farmers within the irrigation scheme.
Beyond rehabilitating irrigation infrastructure, AMA is positioning the scheme for commercial production by linking farmers to structured markets, ensuring sustainability through guaranteed market access.
Mashonaland East provincial irrigation development director Engineer Catherine Mureri-Jaji said the intervention revived an irrigation scheme that had been struggling for years, with part of it having been out of operation since 2020.
“For almost five years, our drip section was totally down and after the intervention of this AMA funding, it only took us a month to rehabilitate the scheme and now it is fully functional,” she said.
Eng Mureri-Jaji said the rehabilitation was undertaken with technical support from ZINWA engineers before the project was completed and handed over to farmers.
Village Four farmer Mr Barnabas Kamusisi said the irrigation scheme had transformed prospects for his family after years of uncertainty.
“I have seven children and two grandchildren. Life was difficult when the irrigation scheme stopped operating because we had no reliable source of income or food,” he said.
“Now we are back in the fields, and we are hopeful that we will be able to provide for our families and improve our livelihoods.”
Ward 25 councillor Mr Chenjerai Kandemiri said the revival of the irrigation scheme would restore economic activity within the community.
“People had become idle, with some youths engaging in drug and substance abuse while many families struggled to make ends meet,” he said.
The return of this irrigation scheme will transform the whole community through increased agricultural production and employment opportunities.”
Charles Duri