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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
TSHIKWALAKWALA Irrigation Scheme in Beitbridge East constituency is grinding to a halt with farmers failing to repair the four irrigation pumps and a perimeter fence that were destroyed by floods in 2012.

The situation is set to worsen the plight of ordinary villagers in a drought-prone district where hundreds of households are reported to be in need of urgent food aid.

Established in 1967, the government-owned irrigation scheme has become a pale shadow of its former self.

Project chairperson John Kibi Muleya lamented, in an interview, the dilapidated state of irrigation equipment and lack of production.

“The situation here is a cause for concern considering that we’re in agriculture natural region five where crop farming depends mostly on irrigation farming,” said Muleya.

“As villagers we’ve tried to put resources together but that’s not enough to take us off the ground. As you can see the 65 hectares have turned into a thick bush.”

He said most community members were pulling out of the 163 plot-holder project because of frustration.

Muleya said despite receiving a tractor, planter and a plough under the government’s more food programme the dream of the community was to revive irrigation farming and produce enough food.

“After the floods we tried to reduce the tillage land to 20 hectares but still our efforts are hitting a brick wall due to chronic water shortages,” he said.

Muleya said the irrigation scheme was a source of livelihood for the 928 households in Ward 1 with a population of 4,300 people. He appealed to the government and other development players to come to their rescue.

“We’re operating on defunct diesel powered irrigation pumps and are appealing to the government to consider electrifying our project.

The cost of fuel is very high and it has taken us out of business,” he explained.

Muleya said beside pumps they needed support in repairing canals that were damaged by wild animals from neighbouring Kruger National Park from South Africa.

Beitbridge senator, Tambudzani Mohadi, who also visited the project at the weekend said the situation was dire.

“We’re appealing to all development players to partner government in reviving irrigation farming across the district. Drought has hit people hard and we need to work on finding lasting solutions to problems bedevilling major irrigation schemes in the district,” she said.

She said the government was committed to supporting irrigation schemes to ensure communities derive value from such facilities.

Agriculture is the backbone of Zimbabwe’s economy with estimated 60 percent of people living in rural areas.