George Maponga in Masvingo
Over 1 600 hectares of irrigation land will be opened for small-holder farmers to grow sugar cane in Mkwasine Estates after completion of expansion work at Siya and Manjirenji dams by Canelands Trust.
Canelands Trust is jointly funded by the European Union and sugar producer Tongaat Hulett, who will inject about 600 000 for dam expansion.

Opening of land in Mkwasine will bring to about 8 000ha the total area under sugar cane production by resettled farmers.

Canelands Trust general manager Mr Ushe Chinhuru last week said the spillways at Siya and Manjirenji would be raised to increase capacity.

He said the Siya Dam spillway would be raised two metres, increasing capacity from 105 000 to 123 000 mega-litres.

“Manjirenji spillway will be raised by 300mm and this will increase the capacity to 267 250 from 260 950 mega-litres. The original capacity of Manjirenji Dam was 285 000 mega-litres but it has since decreased due to siltation from the catchment areas,” said Mr Chinhuru.

He said 1 620ha of cane fields would be opened up thereafter.

Manjirenji and Siya dams were built primarily to supply Lowveld sugar cane plantations. Expansion of the two dams comes after Mkwasine Estates experienced crippling water shortages last year because of poor rains.