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THE Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Yoshi Hiraish, last week toured Nyakomba Irrigation Scheme in Nyanga and expressed readiness to accelerate the rehabilitation of broken down infrastructure and expansion of the smallholder scheme. His visit follows on the heels of President Mugabe’s meeting with the president of the Japan International Co-operation Agency (Jica), Professor Akehiko Tanaka, where they discussed technical co-operation towards poverty reduction.A team of engineers from JICA was in the country in February to carry out a feasibility study for the Nyakomba Irrigation Scheme Phase 2 Expansion Project. Nyakomba – which encompasses Blocks B, C and D that measure up to 430 hectares – was established with that assistance from Japan from 1997 to 2000. However, the facility was damaged by Cyclone Eline in 2000 and since then the scheme, subdivided into 0.8ha per plot holder, has been operating below capacity.
The major challenges confronting it include constantly breaking down of old pumps and vandalised canals. Some pump station along Nyakomba River requires site change as it is prone to vandalism from floods.
Irrigation farmers also cite high input costs, particularly of seed, fertilisers and chemicals as an acute problem. Some end up subleasing their plots to raise money for inputs, an indication of the need for input support schemes to enable the farmers to make maximum use of the irrigable land. Water logging and leaching of nutrients were also some problems at the scheme. The Manica Post understands that one engineer from Manicaland is already in Japan working on the project. The Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Dr Joseph Made, said the team was compiling the final report on the basic design and cost estimation.
Dr Made said that engineers from his ministry were working hand-in-glove with the Japanese, adding that he had requested JICA team input in the crafting of the national irrigation master plan.
“The focus is to get irrigation going. Nyakomba Irrigation Scheme is one of the most critical schemes in the country and we are happy that the Japanese have resolved to intensify the repair of existing infrastructure at Nyakomba Irrigation Scheme and expansion of the Phase 2 Expansion Project,” said Dr Made.
Online Reporter