Nabusenga repays last year’s inputs loan, ready for phase 2
NABUSENGA Irrigation Scheme in Binga District has signed up for the second phase of Command Agriculture after managing to repay last year’s inputs loan.
The scheme is the only project that managed to pay back the advances made under the programme in the whole of Binga after they delivered 995x50kg bags of maize to the Grain Marketing Board.
Chairman, Mr Joseph Ndlovu, said they have also ventured into wheat where they have planted 11 hectares. He said following the rehabilitation of pipes and fencing of fields through the Integrated Food, Nutrition and Income (FNI) Security Programme, the fortunes of the scheme have been turned around.
Binga District administrator, Ms Lydia Banda commended the group for their diligent work and ensuring they paid back the loaned inputs under Command Agriculture, a Governmentdriven import substitution programme.
Speaking during the World Food Day celebrations held in Saibuwa in Binga last Wednesday, Ms Banda said Nabusenga was a model to other schemes because of the success it has achieved.
The World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on October 16 in honour of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in 1945.
The day is used to host events that promote global awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure food security and nutritious diets for all.
Nabusenga received $40 000 under the European Union-funded FNI programme that went towards rehabilitating the pipes that channelled water from Nabusenga Dam, buying of inputs and erecting a fence last year. Mr Ndlovu said they have increased land under farming as more water reaches the fields.
“We are now making use of the whole 19.1 hectares that we have unlike before when water would get lost along the way due to pipe leakages.
“The erection of the fence has also kept away the animals ensuring higher yields,” he said.
The scheme has been supporting 68 families since 1976 but has recently suffered from worn out pipe infrastructure, which saw little water reaching the fields.
Nabusenga also has two fishing ponds used for rearing fish that is sold to the market. FNI project manager, Ms Minenhle Ngwenya, said one critical aspect of the programme was to create market linkages for farmers to maximise on earnings.
“Nabusenga farmers had also been facing marketing challenges but we managed to link them with contractors, signed a memorandum of understanding with Gokwe Spar to take delivery of green mealies, an agreement was reached with Cairns Foods over the purchasing of sugar beans and Michigan peas,” she said.
“Agriculture is no longer about production but also has the business aspect hence the training of farmers in agronomy. The “I” in FNI stands for income and we want farmers to be able to earn beyond the funding phase of the programme.”
FNI, which started in 2014 and comes to an end in December, rehabilitated 30 irrigation schemes across the two districts of Binga and Hwange with six new ones being established.
Ms Ngwenya said the overall objective of the FNI project was to improve smallholder farmer productivity for food nutrition and income, develop and implement diversified and appropriate value chains to increase production and consumption of nutritious food. The programme, which is funded by the European Union to the tune of $4.5 million, brought together a consortium of Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) and Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (Cafod) with Caritas (Binga) and Environment Africa (Hwange) being implementing partners.