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Herald Reporter
Government is concerned with irrigation equipment that has been lying idle for eight years in Mashonaland provinces, a senior official has said. Addressing farmers at Zadzamatura-Dekalb maize seed and Monsanto agro-chemical products launch in Mazowe, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister (Crops and Irrigation) Cde Davis Marapira said irrigation equipment at some institutions in Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West was not being utilised.

“There are dams with water reservoirs and irrigation equipment put on site but not functional in Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West and it is not good for the economy especially now when we have climate change.

“This is affecting the economy as agriculture now depends on irrigation because of climate change,” he said. He said staff within the ministry was not alerting him about this equipment and why the equipment was not functional.

“There is a little bit of negligence within my staff and I am not happy with that. The staff does not bring reports and I only discover when I go into the field.”  Cde Marapira said he would talk to Treasury so that it would avail funds to service the equipment.

“Some of the officials say Treasury has not released enough funds to service or repair broken down equipment. I will engage Treasury for more funds. The equipment was not installed for a long time and in some places for eight years,” he said.

He urged farmers to plant crop varieties that mature early and are drought tolerant.

He said Government was participating in regional seed harmonisation strategies which would allow more new varieties to be available to farmers in future.