News / Regional
Cropping activities at Bulawayo Kraal to start early next year
22 Dec 2013 at 05:48hrs | Views
Binga District irrigation technician Mr Pride Mahombera shows a pipe that will be used to draw water from Zambezi River to Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme a few kilometres from Manjolo Business Centre in Binga District
CROPPING activities at the proposed country's biggest irrigation scheme, Bulawayo Kraal in Binga, Matabeleland North Province will start early next year, a senior Government official has said.
Binga Kraal irrigation scheme with a stretch of 20 000 hectares of irrigable land will not only become the largest irrigation scheme in Zimbabwe but will become one of the biggest cropping fields in Southern Africa.
The irrigation scheme is part of the Zambezi Green Valley (Zagreva) project, which was officially launched by Vice-President Joice Mujuru in 2006 and seeks to ensure a green belt in areas along the Zambezi River stretching from Kazungula to Kariba and has been hailed as a major step towards addressing the country's perennial food shortages.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development responsible for cropping, Davis Marapira, said the ministry through the Department of Irrigation was in the process of rehabilitating irrigation schemes throughout the country, prioritising those in drought-prone areas.
He, however, said if fully utilised, Bulawayo Kraal would play an integral part in ensuring food security in the country.
"We are working on Bulawayo Kraal in Binga, this scheme has the potential to irrigate more than 15 000 hectares drawing water from the Zambezi River and if fully developed it can cater for five provinces and will be the largest irrigation scheme in Southern Africa.
"We are looking at initially cropping 100 hectares and we are taking that to 5 000 within a matter of time in the coming year. We are going to use centre pivots to irrigate the better part of the fields so as to reduce labour cost. This irrigation system is also highly efficient and helps conserve water," Dep Minister Marapira.
The first phase of the pilot project in Binga's Lokola area has been completed. It entailed the construction of a night storage tank close to the river. The tank has a water storage capacity of 3 700 cubic metres and there is another 10 000 cubic metre storage tank near the fields.
It also saw the installation of a submersible pump to draw water (with six submersible pumps expected to be connected upon the completion of the whole project). Two booster pumps have also been close to the night storage tank as well as the installing of a heavy duty generator and the connection of pipes from the first tank to the fields.
Last week, project engineer Benjamin Mangwiro carried out a survey together with an Indian firm to determine the irrigable area at Bulawayo Kraal and a nearby irrigation scheme, Mlibizi.
"We surveyed a total of 30 000 hectares which can be irrigated and the survey included Mlibizi irrigation scheme. We are looking at the issue of engaging the Indians through a Public Private Partnership in ensuring that this proposed greenbelt initiative becomes a reality.
The Indians are more technologically advanced with regards to offering modern irrigation equipment such as centre pivots and drip irrigation," Mr Mangwiro said.
In his national budget presentation, the Minister of Finance, Patrick Chinamasa, allocated $9,4 million towards irrigation development.
He said the country had over 550 000 hectares of irrigable land while 200 000 was under irrigation development, with a significant number of the irrigation schemes regrettably non-functional. Thus meaning the country continues to experience under- utilisation of existing water bodies.
"Accordingly, the 2014 national budget prioritises rehabilitation and operationalisation of all those idle irrigation schemes, while gradually putting on board those identified and planned new schemes in all the provinces.
"In this regard, I propose to allocate $9,4 million for this programme targeting the rehabilitation of communal irrigation schemes to ensure that we begin to utilise some idle investments," Minister Chinamasa said.
He said the Government would introduce a number of irrigation programmes for 2014 and 2015
"Government has established, in partnership with the manufacturers of irrigation equipment, a facility for farmers to access irrigation equipment and support services on hire purchase arrangements," Minister Chinamasa said.
He further stated that the hire purchase arrangement would be complemented by the promotion of partnership investment in irrigation development targeting A2 farmers with irrigable land.
"In the same vein, Government is promoting investment in irrigation development, targeting A2 farmers with irrigable land. To this end, the resuscitation of the National Irrigation Development Fund will be pursued for farmers to access credit financing for irrigation development," he said.
Binga Kraal irrigation scheme with a stretch of 20 000 hectares of irrigable land will not only become the largest irrigation scheme in Zimbabwe but will become one of the biggest cropping fields in Southern Africa.
The irrigation scheme is part of the Zambezi Green Valley (Zagreva) project, which was officially launched by Vice-President Joice Mujuru in 2006 and seeks to ensure a green belt in areas along the Zambezi River stretching from Kazungula to Kariba and has been hailed as a major step towards addressing the country's perennial food shortages.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development responsible for cropping, Davis Marapira, said the ministry through the Department of Irrigation was in the process of rehabilitating irrigation schemes throughout the country, prioritising those in drought-prone areas.
He, however, said if fully utilised, Bulawayo Kraal would play an integral part in ensuring food security in the country.
"We are working on Bulawayo Kraal in Binga, this scheme has the potential to irrigate more than 15 000 hectares drawing water from the Zambezi River and if fully developed it can cater for five provinces and will be the largest irrigation scheme in Southern Africa.
"We are looking at initially cropping 100 hectares and we are taking that to 5 000 within a matter of time in the coming year. We are going to use centre pivots to irrigate the better part of the fields so as to reduce labour cost. This irrigation system is also highly efficient and helps conserve water," Dep Minister Marapira.
The first phase of the pilot project in Binga's Lokola area has been completed. It entailed the construction of a night storage tank close to the river. The tank has a water storage capacity of 3 700 cubic metres and there is another 10 000 cubic metre storage tank near the fields.
It also saw the installation of a submersible pump to draw water (with six submersible pumps expected to be connected upon the completion of the whole project). Two booster pumps have also been close to the night storage tank as well as the installing of a heavy duty generator and the connection of pipes from the first tank to the fields.
Last week, project engineer Benjamin Mangwiro carried out a survey together with an Indian firm to determine the irrigable area at Bulawayo Kraal and a nearby irrigation scheme, Mlibizi.
"We surveyed a total of 30 000 hectares which can be irrigated and the survey included Mlibizi irrigation scheme. We are looking at the issue of engaging the Indians through a Public Private Partnership in ensuring that this proposed greenbelt initiative becomes a reality.
The Indians are more technologically advanced with regards to offering modern irrigation equipment such as centre pivots and drip irrigation," Mr Mangwiro said.
In his national budget presentation, the Minister of Finance, Patrick Chinamasa, allocated $9,4 million towards irrigation development.
He said the country had over 550 000 hectares of irrigable land while 200 000 was under irrigation development, with a significant number of the irrigation schemes regrettably non-functional. Thus meaning the country continues to experience under- utilisation of existing water bodies.
"Accordingly, the 2014 national budget prioritises rehabilitation and operationalisation of all those idle irrigation schemes, while gradually putting on board those identified and planned new schemes in all the provinces.
"In this regard, I propose to allocate $9,4 million for this programme targeting the rehabilitation of communal irrigation schemes to ensure that we begin to utilise some idle investments," Minister Chinamasa said.
He said the Government would introduce a number of irrigation programmes for 2014 and 2015
"Government has established, in partnership with the manufacturers of irrigation equipment, a facility for farmers to access irrigation equipment and support services on hire purchase arrangements," Minister Chinamasa said.
He further stated that the hire purchase arrangement would be complemented by the promotion of partnership investment in irrigation development targeting A2 farmers with irrigable land.
"In the same vein, Government is promoting investment in irrigation development, targeting A2 farmers with irrigable land. To this end, the resuscitation of the National Irrigation Development Fund will be pursued for farmers to access credit financing for irrigation development," he said.
Source - Sunday News
