Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]
FOR villagers benefiting from Makuva Irrigation Scheme in Mberengwa, farming is proving to be more than a source of food, it has provided a way out of financial hardship, it means school fees paid, homes improved and families sufficiently fed.
Through year-round production on the 7ha scheme in Ward 28 under Chief Mposi, farmers are harvesting crops for household consumption and selling surplus produce to generate income, sustaining livelihoods while contributing to the country’s food security.
Established in 1991, Makuva Irrigation Scheme has become a lifeline for participating households, helping them overcome the limitations of rain-fed agriculture and turn farming into a reliable source of income and self-sufficiency.
For farmer, Mr Samson Phiri, the scheme has opened up economic opportunities that enable villagers to provide for their families and meet household needs using proceeds from their agricultural activities.
“This project has unlocked other economic avenues for us in Mberengwa. We are managing to fend for our families from the proceeds we get here,” he said.
Mr Phiri said the money earned from selling crops is helping farmers pay school fees for their children, improve their homes and meet other family obligations.
“This irrigation scheme is a clear demonstrating that farming can be a business,” he said.
Ms Vaida Sibanda another member said beyond the income generated, the scheme is strengthening household food and nutrition security by ensuring that families have access to food produced locally while earning money to purchase other essential commodities.
“Unlike rain-fed farming, which is largely dependent on seasonal rainfall, this scheme allows us to maintain production throughout the year, providing a more dependable source of food and income,” she said.
Ms Sibanda said several households were benefiting from the scheme, which has 54 registered beneficiaries, comprising 12 men and 42 women.
Nine of the registered beneficiaries are young people, including four males and five females.
“The involvement of women and young people reflects the scheme’s contribution to widening participation in agriculture while creating opportunities for rural communities to earn a living from farming,” she said.
Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (Ardas) Midlands provincial director Ms Busiso Olga Mavankeni said irrigation schemes were critical in helping farmers adapt to climate change and sustain agricultural production in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
She said Government was supporting farmers through agricultural planning, training and technical advisory services aimed at improving productivity and ensuring that crops were properly managed.
“Government is assisting farmers through planning the cropping calendar, group buying of inputs, training on crop production and providing timely technical advisory services, including pest and disease management, irri-gation scheduling and general crop management,” said Ms Mavankeni.
She added that the support enables farmers to plan their production cycles, coordinate the procurement of in-puts and adopt sound farming practices that help minimise crop losses and improve yields.
Ms Mavankeni said timely technical advice on pest and disease control, in particular, helps farmers protect their crops, while appropriate irrigation scheduling supports the efficient use of water resources.
“The collective efforts of farmers at Makuva were commendable, with the scheme serving as an example of how organised irrigation farming could contribute to food production and rural development.
“The initiative is among the flagship irrigation schemes in the Midlands Province, supporting national efforts to strengthen the grain value chain and ensure adequate food supplies,” she said.
Chief Mposi said through sustained production, farmers contribute to the provincial grain supply while improv-ing their own livelihoods through the sale of surplus crops.
“The scheme’s contribution is particularly important as Zimbabwe prepares for the threat of an El Niño-induced drought, which could disrupt rain-fed agriculture and undermine household food security,” he said.
Chief Mposi said the ability to produce crops throughout the year offers a degree of protection against such climate-related shocks, ensuring that farming activities and household incomes are less vulnerable to pro-longed dry spells.
“The scheme also demonstrates how smallholder irrigation can link food production with rural economic de-velopment, allowing farmers to meet immediate household needs while investing in longer-term improve-ments,” he said.
“With climate change posing growing challenges to traditional farming systems, initiatives such as Makuva are expected to remain central to efforts to build resilient rural livelihoods, improve household incomes and achieve national food self-sufficiency.”
