Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Chronicle Reporter

GOVERNMENT in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has set up a $1,5 million Rural Poor Stimulus Fund (RPSF) to insulate small holder irrigation farmers against the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

About 14 000 households are set to benefit while 50 percent of the beneficiaries will be women and 30 percent will be youths.

Speaking recently during the handover of soya beans and pesticides to farmers operating at Sebasa Irrigation Scheme in Gwanda, Matabeleland South provincial facilitator for Small Holder Irrigation Revitalisation Programme (SIRP), Ms Mavis Chikumbirike said 25 schemes and their adjacent scheme areas in Matabeleland South, Midlands, Manicaland and Masvingo Provinces were set to benefit from the fund.

She said the fund will target irrigations that had been established and rehabilitated under SIRP to ensure that they remained productive even during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Rural Poor Stimulus Fund (RPSF) has been introduced to cushion SIRP farmers from effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. It will reach approximately 50 percent of the main SIRP target outreach. The programme is a Government initiative with IFAD being the funder. A total of US$1 554 689 has been set aside for the project. Agritex is the lead implementing agency.

“The objective of the programme is to create Covid-19 resilient and robust smallholder farming systems within the areas targeted by SIRP.

The programme will ensure crop and livestock input support, promote synchronised block production and close gaps in small holder irrigation schemes in 2021. It will also assist to establish a scheme based revolving fund and restore agriculture market information supply chains,” she said.

Ms Chikumbirike said 13 900 households were set to benefit from the programme which will run up until December. She said schemes that will be selected to benefit from the fund will be expected to first pass a feasibility study.

Ms Chikumbirike said 50 percent of the beneficiaries will be women and 30 percent will be youths.

“RPSF like SIRP promotes interventions aligned to Ministry of Agriculture priorities and programmes which seek to enhance sustainable irrigation models, promote livestock growth plan and horticulture recovery,” she said.

As a mitigatory measure against the threats posed on productivity and rural incomes 93 farmers operating at Sebasa Irrigation Scheme each received a 20kg bag of sugar beans and pesticide under the RPSF.

“We noticed that Covid-19 has a potential to derail productivity and threaten income of farmers so we have brought these inputs so that when rains come you will have a starting point. More irrigation schemes in the province are set to receive these inputs,” said Ms Chikumbirike.

The Small Holder Irrigation Revitilisation Programme (SIRP) programme was launched in November 2017 with the aim to assist the revitalisation of irrigation schemes across the nation through rehabilitation of infrastructure. It is a Government led programme funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).-@DubeMatutu