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Mashudu Netsianda in Binga
BULAWAYO Kraal Irrigation Scheme in Binga District will be expanded to cover 15 000 hectares of land for cropping as the Government steps up efforts to create employment by transforming the area into an economic hub.

At present the hectarage under irrigation is 400 hectares.

Speaking during a handover ceremony of farming inputs under the Presidential Agricultural Inputs Programme, the Minister of lands, Agriculture Water Climate and Rural Resettlement Perrance Shiri said: “The intention of Government is to continue expanding the scheme and we have got about 15 000 hectares of land suitable for irrigation. The Zambezi River which is close by is where we shall be drawing water.”

“We will be clearing the land and developing the irrigation over a number of years. We would have wanted to do it as soon as possible but due to financial constraints it will be done in phases and it will take a few years to fully complete it,” he said.

“If Treasury releases funds today we will be able to do the clearance, the installation of irrigation equipment within one year and put 15 000 hectares of land under irrigation.”

He said the Government is in the process of finalising the master plan to determine whether the centre pivot system can be installed at once.

“The other thing is that we need to finalise our master plan to determine whether we shall be putting centre pivoting all over or we are going to divide the scheme so that we do cropping in one section and other activities such as the growing of fruit trees in another section.

“This is a very hot area next to the Zambezi River and if you grow oranges they tend to be very sweet and the market is very abundant. When the President was in China recently he signed a memorandum of understanding to supply them with citrus products.

“We also have the European market and the South African market and in the Middle East there is high demand for our products and we believe the sky is the limit as agriculture is the mainstay of the economy,” said Minister Shiri.

The irrigation scheme is part of the Zambezi Green Valley (Zagreva) project, which seeks to ensure a green belt in areas along the Zambezi River stretching from Kazungula to Kariba. It has been described as a major step towards addressing food shortage.

The Minister said the irrigation scheme will play a critical role in spearheading the economic growth of Binga and Matabeleland North province.

“Once Bulawayo Kraal is fully functional we expect more jobs to be created for locals and the economy of Binga and the Matabeleland North will grow as there will be a hive of economic activity,” he said.

The irrigation scheme, which was initiated in 2004, has been failing to take off due to funding challenges. It has been lying idle with some villagers vandalising irrigation equipment.

Minister Shiri said under the Command Agriculture programme, the Government will also continue to avail more raw materials and inputs. — @mashnets