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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE BUBI-Lupane Irrigation Scheme on the outskirts of Lupane town has finally taken off with 180 hectares of land cleared and ready for tilling under Command Agriculture.

Outstanding work includes laying of pipes and connecting to the pump house at the 40 million cubic-metre dam from where the project will draw water.

In total the project will have 200ha spread over two pieces of land in Mpofu and Mqoqi areas.

The 180ha are in Mpofu village, Ward 18 in Gwampa, and the beneficiaries will be villagers from Mpofu, Shabula, Lupanda and parts of St Luke’s.

The remaining 20ha will be cleared at a later stage in Mqoqi village west of the Matabeleland North provincial capital.

Matabeleland North irrigation officer Mr Charles Makhula said the 180ha will likely be put under maize, soya beans and wheat under Command Agriculture.

“We have cleared 180 ha and we are left with installing pipes and pivots. The pivots are there while we are waiting for a few things which delayed because of changes in prices. Once that’s completed farmers will then see what’s viable for them.

“Our thinking is that they could start with crops that are on the Government programme such as maize, soya beans and wheat then later they can decide on others depending on their market and viability,” he said.

Villagers from Gwampa ward who lost their fields to the irrigation farm have been compensated as they have been allocated new pieces of land to farm.

The project was initially earmarked for Mqoqi area but villagers resisted saying they feared they might lose grazing land for their livestock.

Government then moved the project to Mpofu village where the 180ha have been cleared.

The remaining 20ha will be cleared in Mqoqi area at a later stage once it is established that the dam can sustain both projects.

Minister of State for Matabeleland North provincial Affairs Richard Moyo recently expressed concern about the issue as he urged communities to take irrigation as a serious business.

“We need to start to understand that irrigation is key to our future hence we should take it seriously,” he said. — @ncubeleon