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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

GOVERNMENT has stepped up progress to ensure that the 15 000 hectare Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation project is finally operational after a number of false starts since its inception in 2004.

Civil works are expected to be completed next month and planting to start thereafter. 

Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme is envisaged to promote food and nutrition security in the dry Binga District and Matabeleland North Province, as well as the entire country, especially in the wake of effects of climate change and recurrent drought.

Government put the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) in charge of the project taking over from the Department of Irrigation which had been managing the project over the years.

Pipe bursts have over the years derailed efforts to fully implement the project which at one stage employed close to 200 people.

Attempts to put some crops under irrigation have faltered because of technical faults and Arda awarded a tender to re-do piping which included repair, redirecting pipes and installing a new pumping and piping system to draw water from the nearby Zambezi River push back instead of the initial 10km pipeline.

The new system will have new pipes from the push back about 3km away from the scheme, a new engine, an overnight storage dam and a pump with a capacity to pump 315 cubic metres of water per hour.

In total, there are seven centre pivots on site although only three are being used.

The New Dispensation led by President Mnangagwa committed itself to the implementation of the scheme as it prioritises the revival of the agricultural sector through the development of irrigation schemes to alleviate food insecurity and poverty particularly in rural communities.

This is to ensure Binga moves along with other districts in terms of development and ensure food security, a tenet of the National Development Strategy 1 towards vision 2030.

About 400 hectares have been cleared and more than half was tilled this year. 

In a recent interview, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka admitted the Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme had given Government “a few headaches”.

“On two occasions the engineering designs were not up to standard, but this third round we have enlisted services of an expert and our last visit recently clearly showed that the concept that this engineer is utilising should be able to give us results,” said Dr Masuka.

He said this year the project planted the first 40 hectares of sunflower and 50 hectares of sorghum.

Dr Masuka said plans are underway to plant a crop, which he did not specify, before the summer cropping season.

“So we have started in earnest. My expectation is that irrigation works will be complete by July so that we can put our early summer crop ahead of the major crop. So things have started happening and it is my expectation that the first 400 hectares will be opened by summer this year,” he said.

The irrigation scheme perimeter fence that had been destroyed by domestic animals from surrounding villages has been repaired.

Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme has 99 members from Dumbwe and Bulawayo Kraal villages.

Once fully implemented, the scheme will see the nearby Manjolo area being transformed into a fully-fledged growth point with residential compounds for workers, a police station and clinic.

The nearby Bulawayo Kraal primary and secondary schools will also benefit. – @ncubeleon