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Johnsias Mutonhori Bulawayo Bureau
The 126 farmers who benefited from the revitalised Insukamini Irrigation Scheme in the Midlands Province, have been urged to commercialise their farming activities as part of rural industrialisation.
This was said by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka, while addressing farmers and other stakeholders during the official opening of the 41-hectare irrigation scheme yesterday.
“There are 126 beneficiaries that are exhibiting different types of capacities here at the Insukamini irrigation scheme. We have fully utilised the plots such as this one and when you go down you find some empty plots, which is why we introduced a new business model, the Vision 2030 accelerator model, enunciated by the President in order to make sure that farming is a business and everyone is an economic participant,” said Dr Masuka.
In 2021, President Mnangagwa launched the Arda Vision 2030 Accelerator Model programme at Bubi-Lupane Irrigation Scheme.
Under this model, the Government is stimulating the industrialisation of rural communities through engendering value addition and beneficiation.
Each district across the country will have 200 hectares under irrigation with the beneficiaries being locals. Government is stepping up its rural industrialisation agenda with a raft of measures, which include incentivising local and foreign investors opting to invest in value chains for rural areas, being put in place to trigger economic activity.
Through rural industrialisation, Government hopes to stem rural-urban migration which saps growth from the countryside, transferring it to towns and cities.
Rural industrialisation, which hinges on the Second Republic’s devolution policy, involves nurturing agro-processing start-up enterprises in rural areas through financial and technological support via venture capital funding and Government agencies.
Dr Masuka said the Government established the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) and the Agriculture Market Authority (AMA) to help farmers commercialise their farming production and market the produce.
“The market must inform production and it is in this regard that we brought on board Agriculture Market Authority and Arda for better agronomy and market viability. These are the agencies that must work with the communities to facilitate a business mindset for farming as a business so that we can maximize production on this scheme,” he said.
Arda chief executive officer Mr Tinotenda Mhiko said Insukamini irrigation scheme has a promising future. He said the construction of the pack shed, which will enable farmers to store their crops while waiting to take the produce to the market, is now at the final stage.
“We are pleased about the world-class pack shed that has been established here because it catalyses our rural industrial plan which promotes aggregation of produce at district level and quality conformance,’ said Mr Mhiko.
“Farmers would be able to store their crops, particularly horticulture produce which is perishable in the cold storages and this will also enhance channels for exports from this scheme.”
AMA chief executive officer Mr Clever Isaya commended farmers for their quality horticulture, saying it qualifies for the export market.
“Our mandate is to develop markets. We are developing local markets as well as international markets so that our farmers are able to export their produce to other countries. What we have seen today at the Insukamini irrigation scheme is that farmers are producing high-quality products such as chilies, green pepper, sugar beans amongst others which I consider to be world-class,” he said.
“If the standard is maintained and replicated across the country, I can assure you that the market share of Zimbabwe’s agricultural produce will expand significantly.”
Mrs Tendai Taguma, a plot holder at Insukamini Irrigation scheme applauded Government for revitalising the scheme, saying it had been underutilised for a long time due to lack of proper maintenance.
“The scheme has been deteriorating every day and I want to thank Government for intervention through the irrigation rehabilitating programme. There were heavy leakages on the dam outlet gate valves, and severe water logging in the fields due to leakages in the canal sections,” she said.
“Today it’s different and farmers in this scheme are now able to send their children to better schools, upgrade their houses and in general, live better lives from the money they get from this scheme.”
The Insukamini Irrigation Scheme was established in 1988 under the Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) fund.
Prior to the Government intervention, the canals and pumping units had outlived their lifespan. The Government in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) intervened to save the irrigation project from total collapse through the Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Programme (SIRP)).
IFAD is a specialised agency of the United Nations that works to improve agricultural development and livelihoods in rural areas of developing countries.
Online Reporter