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Johnsias Mutonhori

Farmers at the rehabilitated Insukamini Irrigation scheme in Lower Gweru in the Midlands province have been urged to commercialise their farming activities in order to contribute to the area’s rural  industrialisation.

Addressing the 126 farmers who are the beneficiaries of the rehabilitated scheme yesterday, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said  farmers should take farming as a business that provides raw materials to industries.

He said the farmers at the 41-hectare irrigation scheme should produce for Lower Gweru’s rural industries.

Insukamini Irrigation Scheme

“There are 126 beneficiaries that are exhibiting different types of capacities here at the Insukamini Irrigation Scheme.

“We have to fully utilised the plots such as this one and when you go down you find some empty plots, which is why we introduced a new business model, the Vision 2030 accelerator model,  enunciated by the President in order to make sure that farming is a business and everyone is an economic participant,” said Dr Masuka.

In 2021, President Mnangagwa launched the Arda Vision 2030 Accelerator Model programme at Bubi-Lupane Irrigation Scheme.

Under this model, the Government is stimulating the industrialisation of rural communities through engendering value addition and beneficiation.

In 2021, President Mnangagwa launched the Arda Vision 2030 Accelerator Model programme at Bubi-Lupane Irrigation Scheme.

Each district across the country will have 200 hectares under irrigation with the beneficiaries being locals.

Government is stepping up its rural industrialisation agenda hence it has introduced a raft of measures, which include incentivising local and foreign investors opting to invest in value chains in rural areas.

Through rural industrialisation, Government hopes to stem rural-urban migration which saps growth from the countryside.

Rural industrialisation, which is part of the Second Republic’s devolution agenda, involves nurturing agro-processing start-up enterprises in rural areas through financial and technological support via venture capital funding and Government agencies.

Dr Masuka said the Government established the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) and the Agriculture Market Authority (AMA) to help farmers commercialise their farming production and marketing.

“The market must inform production and it is in this regard that we brought in AMA and Arda improve agronomy and marketing.

These are the agencies that must work with the communities to facilitate a business mindset so that we take farming as a business and maximize on production,” he said.
Arda chief executive officer Mr Tinotenda Mhiko said Insukamini irrigation scheme has a promising

future. He said the construction of the pack shed, which will enable farmers to store their crops while waiting to take the produce to the market, is now at the final stage.

“We are pleased about the world-class pack shed that has been established here because it enhances our rural industrial plan which promotes aggregation of produce at district level,’ said Mr Mhiko.

Farmers will be able to store their crops, particularly horticulture produce which is perishable in the coldrooms.

AMA chief executive officer Mr Clever Isaya commended farmers for their quality horticulture saying its export quality.

The Agricultural Rural Development Authority (Arda)

“Our mandate is to develop markets. We are developing local markets as well as find international markets so that our farmers are able to export their produce. What we have seen today at the Insukamini irrigation scheme is that farmers are producing high-quality products such as chillies, green pepper, sugar beans amongst others which I consider to be world-class,” he said.

“If the standard is maintained and replicated across the country, I can assure you that the market share of Zimbabwe’s agricultural produce will expand significantly.”

Mrs Tendai Taguma, a plot holder at Insukamini Irrigation scheme applauded Government for revitalising the scheme, saying it had been underutilised for a long time due to lack of proper maintenance.

“The scheme has been deteriorating every day and I want to thank Government for its intervention through the irrigation rehabilitating programme.

Mr Tinotenda Mhiko

There were heavy leakages on the dam outlet gate valves, and severe water logging in the fields due to leakages in the canal sections,” she said.

“Today it’s different and farmers at this scheme are now able to send their children to better schools, upgrade their houses and in general, live better lives from the money they get from this scheme.”

The Insukamini Irrigation Scheme was established in 1988 under the Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) fund.

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)

The canals and pumping units at the scheme had outlived their lifespan hence the rehabilitation. The Government in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) funded the rehabilitation of the scheme.