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Basil Nyabadza

Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
AT least 5,000 hectares of land at Ingwizi Estate in Mangwe District is being prepared for maize production starting this week after the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) found a partner for its revival. The estate has been lying idle for years due to equipment breakdown and lack of funding.

Arda board chairman, Basil Nyabadza told a delegation from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces during a recent visit that they expected to harvest 6,000 tonnes of maize from the irrigation scheme by December.

He said funding to revamp the estate was sourced through a partnership with Trek Petroleum.

“Our mission as Arda is to ensure food security throughout the country. The rain fed agriculture system is now unreliable and there’s a need to resort to mitigatory measures such as irrigation farming,” said Nyabadza.

“We’ve so far managed to prepare 600 hectares of land, which we’ll start planting maize next (this) week and a hectare will produce an average of 10 tonnes. We’ve also installed seven pivots. However, this is just the beginning as we’re working on expanding hectorage. Our benchmark is Ingwizi Dam, which is the water source and it has the capacity to water up to 5,000 hectares of land, which is our target.”

He said the power utility, Zesa had for the first time managed to connect electricity to the scheme, which had been relying on generators since 1968. Nyabadza said installation of new irrigation equipment such as centre pivots had been completed while other resources had been delivered at the irrigation scheme.

He said 18 tonnes of seed maize were expected to be delivered this week to mark the start of the planting process.

Nyabadza appealed to Zinwa and Zesa to assist in ensuring that resources were made available to boost production levels in irrigation schemes across the country.

“There’s a need to take proactive measures to address food challenges. Matabeleland South province can equally perform well in crop production just as in livestock production. These efforts all stand guided by the 10-Point Plan, which was presented by the President emphasising on enhanced agricultural production,” he said.

Nyabadza said 500 hectares of wheat at Arda Antelope Estate, which also benefited from the Trek partnership, had been harvested and will be replaced with maize crop.

Arda operations deputy general manager Bathetsi Noko reported that Ingwizi Estate had since increased its workforce from 32 to 102. The scheme has replaced flood irrigation with pivot irrigation system.

ZDF director general in charge of economic development, Brigadier General, Emmanuel Matatu, said food security was crucial to national security. Trek Petroleum has injected more than $2.7 million into wheat and maize production projects in Matabeleland South in a bid to enhance food security and nutrition in the province.