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Elton Manguwo

WITH many irrigation schemes collapsing due to poor management practices, the Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Programme (SIRP) has elected to fund and train Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) managers alongside extension officers on irrigation schemes’ management.

SIRP projects coordinator Mr Odreck Mukorera yesterday revealed that the training programme had been necessitated by the rampant crumbling of irrigation schemes because of lack of proper maintenance, as farmers could not achieve profitability from their farming operations.

The development comes at a time the Government is working to transform irrigation schemes into both production hubs and centres of business excellence.

“The training programme incorporated Agritex officers to capacitate them to train farmers on production and achieve business viability and profitability,” said Mr Mukorera.

ARDA business managers were deployed by the Government to assist farmers to run their farming businesses to achieve profitability and ensure continuous production, which also required them to be capacitated with the knowledge to run irrigation schemes.

Mr Mukorera added: “Some business managers who have completed their training have already been deployed to ensure timely interventions and proper operations on the irrigation schemes that have been rehabilitated.”

The event was graced by AFC Land and Development Bank officials to provide farmers with much-needed knowledge on capital sourcing while processing loans for applicants.

SIRP is a seven-year programme funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and the Government, which contributes to the resilience of smallholder farming communities in Zimbabwe.

“The objective is to decrease vulnerability of smallholder farmers to food and nutrition insecurity, climate change effects and economic shocks,” said Mr Mukorera stressing on the need for farmers to sustain their own farming operations without seeking endless assistance.

The Agriculture and Marketing Authority (AMA) has been mandated to structure strategic domestic, regional and international market linkages for the produce that will be produced from the irrigation schemes.

The Government is mainstreaming the notion of market driven agriculture at the heart of all agriculture processes through vigorous market surveys so that farmers can develop an appetite to produce that, which is not available.

In addition, the Ministry has made significant strides toward transforming the agriculture sector in line with modern business practices.

Recently, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Dr John Basera remarked that the agriculture sector was a pivotal industry in the acceleration of Vision 2030, as it attends to rural development, inclusive growth and transformation of livelihoods.