adminMarvelous Moyo
TEN irrigation schemes in Matabeleland South Province are set to be rehabilitated under the Small Holder Irrigation Support Programme in a move meant to help boost production and improve food security in the province.
The massive rehabilitation programme is funded by the European Union (EU) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) are facilitating the programme working together with the department of irrigation.
The province was allocated three million euros under the programme.
In a telephone interview last week, FAO Matabeleland South provincial facilitator for the small irrigation support programme Mr Aaron Bwerinofa said 10 irrigation schemes had been identified to benefit under the programme.
The 10 identified projects are in the four districts of the province.
“We have identified 10 projects that will benefit under the facility. We are targeting four schemes in Beitbridge, three schemes in Matobo, two in Bulilima and one in Gwanda. The fund is meant to cover at least 500 hectares and 1,000 beneficiaries,” said Mr Bwerinofa.
He said the four identified schemes in Beitbridge district were River Ranch, Kwalu, Jalukanga and Bili. Almost all the crop for the 2014-15 farming season is a write-off in Beitbridge hence the need for resuscitation of irrigation schemes to produce food for the people.
Shashane, Valley and Mbembeswane were the three projects to be receive facility support in Matobo district while Tshankwa and Moza were selected in Bulilima district and in Gwanda district, Tuli-Lushonkwe irrigation scheme would benefit.
The 10 identified schemes were among the several schemes that had submitted their applications seeking to benefit under the programme. They qualified following an assessment.
The fund will be channelled towards improvement of infrastructure and issues to do with increasing production.
Mr Bwerinofa said some potable water supplies would be rehabilitated and toilets installed in some projects.
“Priority is to have the schemes start irrigating to enhance food productivity in the districts,” he said.
Matabeleland South lies in a dry region associated with erratic rainfall patterns and irrigation schemes are the major source of agricultural activities that can save the province from food insecurity.
However, the challenge has been that about half of the schemes are lying idle due to various reasons such as breakdowns, aged infrastructure, and electricity and water debts.
The acting provincial irrigation engineer Mr Shepard Mpotegwa said the total equipped area was 2 523 hectares but only 1 075 ha was operational.
He said if all the communal schemes were operating, they had the capacity to produce up to 15 138 tonnes to feed up to 84 000 people per year but at the moment the schemes produced about 6 450 tonnes and could only feed about 36 000 people.
“Most of our infrastructure is old and needs to be replaced. Some farmers have challenges in accessing inputs such as fertiliser and seed. As a result, they resort to the use of uncertified seed leading to poor yields.
“We also have other idle water bodies. Feasibility studies were done but they were not developed,” Mr Mpotegwa said.
The idle water bodies include Mtshabezi dam (Gwanda) with the potential to irrigate 300ha, Zhovhe dam (Beitbridge) 1,000ha, Shashane (Matobo) 200ha and Ingwizi (Mangwe) which can irrigate 100ha.
Agriculture experts said there was a need to carry out a proper audit of the schemes looking especially at ownership patterns to ensure the schemes served their purpose.
They said most of the plot owners in the schemes were elderly people who no longer had the capacity to produce as expected.
Online Reporter