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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
There is need to strengthen cohesion and functionality in irrigation communities to enhance food capacity and security for the development of the country, an official said yesterday. Midlands Provincial Irrigation Officer, Engineer Shingirirai Zano, said irrigation schemes ought to take a leading role in producing food for the country to be food self-sufficient.

Eng Zano was addressing representatives of irrigation schemes from Mberengwa and provincial heads of the Forest Commission, Agritex and Mberengwa Rural District Council (RDC) at Mberengwa District offices during the launch of the irrigation scheme support programme. The programme is being spearheaded by a local non-governmental organisation called the Centre for Conflict Management and Transformation (CCMT). “The Government has reiterated the need to invest in irrigation schemes to enhance food capacity and security for the development of the country,” said Eng Zano. “There is need for strengthening cohesion and functionality in irrigation communities.  “Irrigation schemes should take a leading role in food production in the country and we expect them to yield 9 to 10 tonnes per hectare so that we become self-sufficient.”  Eng Zano said at the national level, the country had about 220 000ha under irrigation, of which between 150 000 and 160 000 were functional.

In the Midlands Province, he said there were 21 000ha under irrigation, mostly in Kwekwe District.

“In this province and in the communal sector, we have 1 200ha under irrigation of which 800 are functional,” said Eng Zano. “Others need rehabilitation.”

Eng Zano said Government was working on the 240ha Chaora block irrigation scheme in Mataga, Mberengwa.

“The contractor is on site and by the end of year we expect the irrigation scheme to have been completed,” he said. “From Chaora, we will move to another block as we continue setting up several irrigation schemes to improve food security and livelihoods of communities.

“We are also working on Neta irrigation scheme which we hope to complete after this first quarter of the year.”

Eng Zano said irrigation schemes in Mberengwa and Vungu areas in the province had their own challenges which would be addressed.

He said CCMT had been at the forefront in conflict resolution in most irrigation schemes in the two areas.  “It is good that we have CCMT which has assisted in many developmental programmes in the province before,” said Eng Zano.