adminPatrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
THE government’s initiative to consummate private-public partnerships has resulted in the revival of 16 Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) estates in a development that would enhance the country’s food security. The chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on Lands, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Cde Christopher Chitindi said the Zim-Asset cluster on Food Security and Nutrition was going to be realised soon as all the 22 Arda estates would be fully utilised as a result of the PPPs.
“We’re very happy with what’s happening at Arda. 16 estates across the country are now fully utilised as we move towards finding partners for the rest of the estates to ensure food security for the country,” he said in an interview after his committee toured the Cold Storage Company (CSC) depot in Gweru yesterday.
Cde Chitindi said putting more land under irrigation was going to result in the country producing its own food.
President Mugabe has said that irrigation development was the key to food security. Infrastructure that had been decaying at Arda estates, Cde Chitindi added, had been rehabilitated through the PPPs. He said when fully implemented, the estates resuscitation programme would create thousands of jobs and revive local economies.
At the same time, the investment would contribute to greater national food security and economic revival. Arda has 22 farms which are strategically situated across the country and measure around 98,000 hectares of which 19,000 are under irrigation. Maize, soya bean, tea, livestock, timber, potato growing are some of the activities carried out at the estates.
Recently, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Cde Davis Marapira said the government was pleased with work at Arda.
In 2009, the government, through Arda partnered Macdom and Rating investments to grow sugarcane for processing into ethanol at Chisumbanje and Middle Sabi in Chipinge, Manicaland. As many as 5,000 jobs have been created on both farms and many more downstream in ethanol blending and fuel retailing.
At the blending ratio applicable in July, ethanol produced at Chisumbanje helped reduce the fuel import bill by 15 percent.
Online Reporter