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Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
AN industrial revolution is key in establishing factories and eradicating drought in Matabeleland North province, the Minister of State for the province, Cde Cain Mathema, has said.

Speaking at the commissioning of a biogas project at Dewsbury Mjayeli Farm in Umguza, Cde Mathema said it was Government’s vision to have a green belt in Matabeleland North province.

He said the industrial revolution based on agriculture would not only help mitigate drought but also create employment in the drought-stricken province.

“It is my fervent hope and conviction that all of us here gathered will share my vision of turning Matabeleland North into a                       green zone where we will provide piped                                                                                      water irrigation schemes to all our                              farmers who will in turn use that to embark on commercial agriculture,” said Cde Mathema.

“I want an industrial revolution in Matabeleland North based on agricultural products that should enable us to start our own factories in the province in tomato canning, beef canning, tomato juice and puree production.

“We will continue to work with line Ministries’ departments and parastatals to achieve this vision.”

Cde Mathema said piped water schemes had already been launched at Chief Saba in Binga, Chief Nelukoba in Hwange, Stanhope Water project in Umguza and Gulalikabili in Tsholotsho.

He commended Dewsbury Mjayeli Farm owner Mr Kalani Ndlovu for taking the initiative to embark on a biogas project saying such initiatives were in line with the Government’s Zim-Asset policy.

Mr Ndlovu has installed a biogas digester powered on cow dung.

The digester is used for cooking by 30 workers at the farm.

Cde Mathema said through the biogas project, there would be less cutting down of trees at Mjayeli farm, a move which is supported by climate change experts.

“The reduction in fuel wood harvesting translates into prevented release of tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually from an average biogas digester resulting in environmental benefits from a reduced contribution to global warming and associated impacts.

‘‘Clean energy technologies are an important energy supply option as well as key energy resources for addressing universal energy access, energy security and climate change,” said Cde Mathema.

He said the Ministry of Energy and Power Development as well as the Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Ministry and the Rural Electrification Agency and other non-governmental organisations were championing a national five-year biogas programme.

The programme is expected to reach 7 400 families with biogas digesters in all rural parts of the country from 2013 to                             2017.

The Energy Ministry and REA have a target of installing institutional 199 digesters by 2016.

The institutional digesters are being built at schools and clinics.

In Matabeleland North, digesters were built at Tsholotsho High School, Mbuma Mission and St Lukes’ Hospital with Binga’s                                                                           Prison’s digester currently under construction and planned projects at Inyathi Mission Hospital and Hlabangani Primary School this year.

To date, nine domestic digesters have been constructed in Matabeleland North province under the Zimbabwe Domestic Biogas programme making a total of 14 bio digesters in the whole province.

Mr Ndlovu has dedicated 10 hectares of his land towards command agriculture and has also embraced the use of metal silos for grain storage.

He said his vision was to return Zimbabwe to its former glory as the bread basket of Southern Africa.

Mr Ndlovu said he intended to open a tomato and meat canning factory at the farm inorder to provide decent employment for locals.