Irrigation schemes put on business manager model

Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE Agricultural and Rural Development Authority has put about 289 irrigation schemes under the scheme business manager model, up from the 42 irrigation schemes that were piloted last year.

As the Government continues to revive irrigation schemes, pilot projects have been identified for an integrated business model to be replicated by 450 irrigation schemes across the country. The model is part of the Second Republic’s efforts to accelerate rural development and industrialisation in line with Vision 2030.

In an interview, Arda chief executive officer Mr Tinotenda Mhiko said they expect to have the full complement of 450 irrigation schemes on board before the beginning of this year’s summer cropping season.

“Arda was given a mandate to manage the 450 irrigation schemes in the country and make them viable. To date, a total of 289 irrigation schemes have been put on board the scheme business manager model, up from the 42 that were piloted last year.

“We expect to have the full complement of 450 irrigation schemes on board before the beginning of this year’s summer season, targeting to manage 26 000 hectares. The objective is to boost agricultural production and productivity to cause rural industrialisation which in turn will spur rural development.”

He said several irrigation schemes were being established through various facilities and Government programmes while some are being rehabilitated through a Government approach model. Mr Mhiko said they were working with the Department of Irrigation and Zimbabwe National Water Authority to achieve the target of 350 000 hectares under irrigation within the next five years.

“This robust plan is aimed at climate-proofing agriculture and move to surplus oriented farming to guarantee national food, feed, fibre, biofuels and seed security for attainment of Vision 2030,” he added.

In terms of the summer crops harvest, he said, Arda has established 11 713 hectares, 71 percent of this was on irrigation schemes across the country and the remainder on estates.

Mr Mhiko said they have harvested just over 15  000 tonnes of various crops and harvesting was still in progress. In preparation of winter wheat farming, he said Arda targets to establish around 15 020 hectares of winter wheat, targeting to produce 75 000 tonnes, which is 20 percent of the national requirements.

Meanwhile, the country has over 10 000 hectares of land that has been put under winter wheat so far, a figure more than double the area planted during the same period last year. Zimbabwe is targeting to put 75 000 hectares under wheat, under various private and Government funding models this winter farming season, and is expecting a yield of 400  000 metric tonnes.

The optimum time for planting winter wheat is between mid-April and the last week of May and even earlier in the Lowveld, but planting time sometimes can be extended to mid-June. In a tweet, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Dr John Basera said the winter wheat programme was on course.

“We are targeting 75 000 hectares under wheat and so far over 10 000 hectares (have) already (been) planted versus 3 000 hectares (planted the) same time last year,” he tweeted.

Last year, total hectarage was 66 000. This year’s winter wheat programme is designed to ensure that Zimbabwe attains self-sufficiency to insulate itself from the impact of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine. The ongoing conflict has significantly pushed global wheat and oil prices up.