eBusiness Weekly
Kudakwashe Mhundwa
HARARE – The Oil Seed Association of Zimbabwe has earmarked $10 million for irrigation development which is aimed at improving productivity on small holder farmers across the country.
This comes as different stakeholders in the Agricultural sector are calling on the need to urgently address irrigation development as a way of boosting productivity in the sector.
Zimbabwe is sitting on vast water resources with about 10 000 dams which have the capacity to irrigate more that 2 million hectares.
In an interview with this publication on the side-lines of the organisation`s sunflower seed distribution program in Gokwe recently OSAZ Chairman Marshal Masvikepi said the oil seed producer was in the process of concluding negotiations with their financiers for the project.
“We are working on a facility to unlock irrigation infrastructure for our small farmers so we are hoping that by the end of November we would have finalised with our financiers so that they can start rolling out the irrigation.
“The organisation is looking at about a $10 million facility and we are targeting 1 000 hectares or at least a minimum of 1 000 farmers that are going to be empowered in our pilot phase,” said Mr Masvikepi.
The development follows recent announcement by Government that it was also earmarking $52 million for development and rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure to improve productivity on farms all year round. In a development which is set to increase the size of land under irrigation with farmers producing crops all year round.
Development partners are also supporting rehabilitation and development of a number of irrigation projects under the following facilities : The Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Project, co- funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), OFID and Government will disburse $6,9 million towards the revitalisation and expansion of Musikavanhu, Sebasa, Chikwalakwala, Exchange and Rupangwana irrigation schemes.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), with support from the European Union, will disburse $2 million for ongoing works at 20 irrigation schemes in Matabeleland South and Manicaland provinces.
