The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporter
President Mugabe has said Government will roll out massive irrigation programmes countrywide as part of efforts to counter the effects of drought and guarantee food security.
At a rally in Bindura last Friday after officially opening Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University, President Mugabe said Government officials would move around the country to exploit opportunities for irrigation development.
President Mugabe said Government had received equipment from friendly countries such as Brazil, Russia and China.
“Ndozvatinoda izvozvo saka tichazenge tichifamba tichitevedza maprovince tichida kuti tiite irrigation yakakwana nekuti tiri kuwana equipment from Brazil, tikuwana equipment zvakare iri kubva kushamwari dzedu dzekunana Russia neku China wo zvakare.
“Zvino tichazenge tichiita ma rallies atinenge tichiti tione nenyaya yandataura yekuti ramangwana redu tingarambe tichikumbira here chekudya kana tingauye iyezvino tine ma programs ekuti tiise mairrigation schemes kunzvimbo dzakasiyana siyana saka mofana matibatsita ipapa veprovince kuti ratidza maonero enyu kuti seprovince ino tine nzvimbo dzakati dzakati pangaitwe ma projects iwaya eirrigation ekurima chibage, ekurima soyabean ekurima zvimwe zvakasiyana siyana,” he said.
President Mugabe bemoaned that the country was importing food, saying Zimbabwe would be self-sufficient if it made the most of its irrigation capacity.
“Zvatinodai tiri kutarira ramangwana tinenge tichiti tirime nemasimba, tirime nematractor asi takabatana kune mvura kune matsime, madhamu matsime makuru ikoko tiite minda inodiridzwa yakawanda nekuti madhamu atinawo akati wandei chibage chatinowanawo chinge chakati wandeiwo iko zvino tiri kutenga chibage kuZambia.
“Zambia yakatora masimba emabhunu aive kuno ndokuvapa nzvimbo dzokurima ndosaka vane chibage chakawanda kupfuura chavanoda ivo.”
President Mugabe said Government officials would continue monitoring to ensure equipment from Brazil, Russia and China was put to good use.
“Saka tirikuda kuona kuti equipment iyoyi iri kushandiswa zvakanaka here uye iri kuenda kunzvimbo dzinosimudzira here maprojects acho nzvimbo idzodzo dzinosimudzira here nyika yedu dzinosimudzira here ZimAsset,” he said.
Under the first phase of Brazil’s More Food for Africa Programme, Government received equipment worth US$38,6 via a flexible loan facility.
Equipment handed over to individual farmers and community irrigation schemes 320 tractors, 450 disc harrows, 310 planters 100 fertiliser spreaders and 6 650 knapsack sprayers.
The 2nd and 3rd phases will be valued at US$30 million each and will be unveiled in the near future.
More irrigation equipment is expected from Belarus after Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed an agreement for the supply of the machinery during his visit to Minsk last year.
