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Business Reporter
SIWAZE Irrigation Scheme in Insiza District is up and running following a World Food Programme (WFP) assisted rehabilitation programme set to benefit 300 households.
Members of the community told Business Chronicle during a tour of the project on Thursday that they were optimistic of improved food production and income generation.

The irrigation scheme was established in 1992 but has not been fully operational due to equipment breakdown and lack of funding for inputs.

WFP communications officer Tomson Phiri said rehabilitation works started last year when the scheme was extended from 17 to 20 hectares.

“The facility was there but needed renovations. In 2013 we assisted to extend the irrigation scheme resulting in an increase of 50 to 80 plot holders,” he said adding:

“One hundred workers were involved in project implementation and 18 of them were actual plot holders”.

Phiri said his organisation worked with the villagers after they sent a proposal to the organisation and carried the works in 15 days a month at a rate of four hours a day.

“The major works on the irrigation were clearing, stumping, land preparation, canal pegging, digging, forming and construction,” he said.

At Mbondweni Dam in Ward Four, major rehabilitation works included spill way repair, placing of gabion mash, construction of sand traps, planting of sisal, dam wall filling in, bush clearing, stone pitching and fencing of dam wall.

Phiri could not be drawn to disclose the amount invested but said WFP provided cement, piping materials and pay for workers while working with government departments such as Agritex, the Department of Irrigation and Mechanisation who chipped in with technical expertise during the implementation of the rehabilitation exercise.

The scheme now produces crops such as maize and wheat, groundnuts, sugar beans and vegetables.

Members of the community said the produce was consumed locally by plot holders while some was sold locally including to local institutions like boarding schools.

They said the cash realised from produce sales was used to purchase inputs for the following season, pay fees and other household needs.

“WFP greatly assisted us. Now we are able to plant our vegetables, tomatoes, onions and sell them throughout the year,” said Thandiwe Ncube, a beneficiary.

Another villager, Sibongile Nungu, who is a single mother, said she was now able to pay her children’s fees.

“I’m proud to say I’m now able to pay school fees for my three children who had since stopped going to school.

“Selling wheat has made me manage to generate income,” she said.

Last year alone WFP assisted 22 rural districts countrywide areas including Lupane and Tsholotsho.