Pay your Zesa bills on time, farmers urged
GOVERNMENT has urged farmers to pay their ZESA Holdings bills on time to create a good relations with the power utility and avoid interrupted power supply on irrigation farms.
Speaking on behalf of Minister of State for Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs Retired Brigadier-General Ambrose Mutinhiri at the Mashonaland East Irrigation Schemes competitions in Murehwa last week, director of affairs in his office Mr Muchemwa Mugwisi said farmers could also make payment plans with the power authority.
“It is important to create a good relationship between farmers and ZESA,” he said.
“Farmers, if you want services from ZESA make sure you play your part by paying your bills. If you are having challenges in paying up the bills, you can also make payment plans with the authority because uninterrupted power supply is the important aspect of Command Agriculture.”
Mr Mugwisi said if power was uninterrupted on irrigation farms, it would increase agricultural production in the country and avoid the importation of food.
“As a country, we cannot continue to rely on importing food, especially our staple maize and other food crops, as this is not sustainable, especially with the fact that the country is endowed with prime agricultural land, water and expertise to support the agricultural industry.”
Mr Mugwisi then read Rtd Brig-Gen Mutinhiri’s speech in which the Minister urged irrigation farmers to work hard and help the country in achieving its targets under the Zim-Asset cluster of ensuring food security.
“Irrigated agriculture is the only way to fight the devastating effects of climate change that have negatively affected the revival of our agriculture and the country’s road back to its bread basket status in the region,” said Rtd Brig-Gen Mutinhiri.
“Rain-fed agriculture has become unreliable, so the whole country is looking upon you farmers with irrigation infrastructure to produce and obtain maximum yields.”
He said irrigation equipment was being installed at various sites in the province, under the Command Agriculture Programme and this would see the irrigated area increasing significantly.
Brig-Gen Mutinhiri congratulated Howgate Irrigation Scheme in Murehwa for out-performing other irrigation schemes in the province by scooping the first prize. Howgate Irrigation Scheme walked away with prizes in cash, inputs and equipment donated by public and private partners.
Other irrigation schemes that were competing included Nhuku, Chibvuti, Machiki, Chabwino, Rochester and Buena Vista.
Irrigation schemes competitions have been introduced to encourage farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural sector to do their best to improve agricultural production at irrigated farms and improve the livelihoods of the farmers, as well as secure food security.