Mushandike farmers turn to rain-fed cropping

CRIPPLING water shortages have forced more than 300 plot holders at Mushandike Irrigation Scheme on the outskirts of Masvingo City, to switch from irrigation to rain-fed farming.

The 800 hectares prime farmland is Masvingo’s largest irrigation scheme and was opened in the early 1980s.

The irrigation scheme used to be a major source of fresh produce for Masvingo City and was also the province’s biggest producer of wheat with at least 400ha reserved for the cereal every year.

However, the drying up of Mushandike Dam upstream, because of poor rains over the past years coupled with unprecedented siltation, essentially triggered the death of the irrigation scheme.

Provincial Agriculture Extension Officer Mr Aaron Muchazivepi yesterday confirmed that over 50 percent of the scheme was now under dryland farming after Mushandike Dam failed to supply the much-needed water as it was only 4,5 percent full.

“Farming activities at Mushandike are currently happening on dryland since water is a big challenge with the dam that used to supply water virtually empty,’’ he said.

The total area under different crops at Mushandike for now is roughly 562ha out of 847,5ha.

Under normal circumstances there should be crops at Mushandike, but the situation has since changed.

Most plot holders are growing maize on dryland, but the crop has been severely affected by a prolonged dry spell, which engulfed most parts the province and the southern parts of the country in January.

Plans to grow wheat at the scheme have since suffered a stillbirth because of the water challenges, leaving them exposed to food insecurity and lack of income.

“The only solution to Mushandike’s problems is to draw water via a pipeline from Muzhwi Dam in Chivi north. This move will help restore the irrigation scheme’s fortunes,” said Mr Muchazivepi.

Government plans to build a pipeline that will divert water into Mushandike Dam from the idle and underutilised Muzhwi Dam.

Feasibility studies on the project have since shown that it would need funding to the tune of US$10 million.

Mushandike Dam used to be a very important source of water for wildlife in nearby Mushandike Game Park.

Beitbridge Bureau

FOURTEEN Zimbabweans were on Monday stranded on the South African side of Beitbridge Border Post after failing to meet requirements to enter into the country.

Under the current lockdown guidelines, there should be a prior arrangement for people, especially returning residents to move within the two neighbours.

The group of Zimbabweans spent Monday night at Gateway truck stop in South Africa and were only allowed entry into Zimbabwe, following consultations of the respective border authorities. The 14 have since been put into quarantine at the NSSA Hotel in Beitbridge.

Beitbridge Covid-19 Taskforce chairperson, Mrs Skhangazile Mafu Moyo said the 14 were cleared after intervention of local border authorities.

“They arrived in the afternoon and so far we have 131 people in quarantine.

“We are yet to get a date when several others will be repatriated with the assistance of our embassy in South Africa,” she said.

Mrs Mafu Moyo said the Beitbridge quarantine centre can only accommodate 280 people and were also waiting for the national taskforce to finalise the logistics of moving thousands others to various provincial centres.

In addition, the facility can accommodate 70 people under isolation and has a dedicated Covid-19 clinic.

According to the Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Lovemore Matuke, the returnees will be screened upon arrival and transported to various provincial centres for quarantine. He said arrangements had already been made with ZUPCO to transport them to the respective centres, which will mainly be District Development Fund (DDF) and Public Service infrastructure.

The Deputy Minister said initially they had opted for schools, but decided on the alternative since it is not yet clear when the schools will open.

“We have already notified the various provincial taskforce teams on the latest development and they are seized with preparations to receive the people. At the moment, I cannot tell how many will go to which province, we will only know after screening upon arrival,” he said.