malvernmugadzikwaOnline Reporter
ABOUT 200 farmers in Mbembeswana in the Midlands province are set to benefit from the Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Programme (SIRP), which mainly targets Midlands, Manicaland and Matabeleland South and is designed to ensure food security.
The project, which is set to be completed by the end of August, is now at an advanced stage.
Only electricity connections remain outstanding.
Some of the equipment is expected to come from Spain.
Since 2017, Government has invested more than US$52 million under SIRP with the aim of establishing 60 schemes on 5 200 hectares.
Speaking last week during a tour of the Mbembeswana project, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Professor Obert Jiri said about 190 households will benefit from the initiative.
“The 190 hectares were divided equally and each family will get one hectare,” said Prof Jiri.
He thanked Mbembeswana farmers for doing 54 percent of the work.
Government is expected to step in to complete the rest of the work before the end of August.
“The irrigation project is now 54 percent complete. Farmers have put in some work and it is now our mandate as Government to finish the rest,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, Midlands Provincial Irrigation Engineer Shingirirai Zano said there is need to fence the plots so that animals will not damage crops.
The project will get water from Mbembeswana Dam, which is able to sustain up to 300 households and commercial farmers.
Bongani Ndlovu