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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
THE Government has started rehabilitating the country’s irrigation schemes, targeting at least 200 hectares per district per year over a period of 10 years under the $98 million facility for irrigation equipment and machinery.

In an interview, Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrance Shiri, said the programme was targeted at increasing the area under functional irrigation and focus would be on rehabilitation, construction and modernisation of existing irrigation schemes.

He said the programme is in line with Government’s commitment to ensure food security in the country.

“We have started rehabilitating our irrigation schemes throughout the country and our target is to do at least 200 hectares per district per year for the next 10 years starting this year. We have covered a lot of ground and work is at various stages,” he said.

Minister Shiri said under the programme, which has been extended to A1 and A2 farmers, the Government has since acquired centre pivots among other equipment.

“We have also imported centre pivots and have started receiving them and they will be distributed to farmers across the country. In terms of mechanisation we are waiting for the delivery of the equipment that we have secured from other countries. We have a deal to get planters, tractors and combine harvesters from Belarus and Brazil and we are also negotiating a number of other schemes so that we are able to mechanise agricultural production,” he said.

“We also have a programme to rehabilitate irrigation schemes for A1 and A2 farmers and that is work in progress and we also have a fund through Command Agriculture where people can access facilities for the rehabilitation of schemes.”

Minister Shiri said irrigation farming plays a major role in boosting crop yields. He said the sustainability of irrigation schemes is only achieved by way of farmers contributing towards capital, operation and maintenance costs.

He urged farmers to take advantage of Government’s agricultural support systems and fully utilise the land despite the economic hardships that the country was facing.

The Minister said the shortage of foreign currency has contributed towards delays in the implementation of the programme.

“We have had a setback due to unavailability of foreign currency because some of the components required for irrigation schemes have to be imported and that has caused delays in terms of progress in some of the schemes,” he said.

Most irrigation facilities in the country have been affected by ageing infrastructure and diminishing water flows in major rivers.

Minister Shiri said the process of distributing inputs under the Presidential Agricultural Inputs Scheme is ongoing with several districts having been covered so far, as the Government steps up efforts to alleviate starvation.

Last week, the Government distributed farming inputs under the Presidential Agricultural Inputs Scheme in Binga and Beitbridge districts. The farming inputs included fertiliser, sorghum, maize and millet seeds.

At least 1.8 million households countrywide are set to benefit from the scheme.

Minister Shiri said the Government is also distributing cotton seed to boost production in marginal areas under the Command Agriculture programme.

“We are also distributing cotton inputs under Command Agriculture where we are targeting marginal areas and 400 000 households will benefit from the scheme. We have also started distributing inputs to farmers and other raw materials, which is a clear indication that we are almost ready for the farming season,” he said.

Vice President Kembo Mohadi last week said the Presidential Agricultural Inputs Scheme should benefit all small-scale farmers countrywide regardless of their political affiliation to ensure national food security. — @mashnets.