Elita Chikwati
Agriculture Reporter
Soil conservation works are needed on farms to curb erosion, siltation of dams and boost agricultural productivity, so the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement is training farmers and carrying out awareness campaigns on the importance of contour ridges for soil conservation and protection of the environment.

Mashonaland East head of mechanisation Engineer Mancissa Kwinje Madzoyo last week said the department was targeting every farmer countrywide to employ conservation works.

She said the department was carrying out conservation works at farms as an emergency process as preparation of contours should be done beginning of June.

“We are currently attending to emergency situations,” said Eng Madzoyo. “The contours are meant to reduce soil erosion which has negative effects on both arable and non-arable lands. We are targeting every farmer whether A2 or smallholder.

“Long back, A2 farmers would cover wide areas unlike now where A1 farmers have smaller pieces of land. Due to the change of farm boundaries, conservation works were affected and we are now training farmers on how to conduct the conservation works.”

Eng Madzoyo said some farmers did not realise the importance of contours, only to awaken after their fields were washed away or dams silted.

“If we employ conservation works, we reduce the velocity of water as it runs,” she said. “The erosive power declines and cannot erode the soil. When we reduce soil erosion, we preserve water bodies. If the soil is washed away, it may end up in rivers and dams, resulting in silting.  “We can reduce this when we do conservation works. We will be redirecting the water and put it into the natural drainage system which does not cause erosion.”

Eng Madzoyo said conservation works increased the ground water which will later be available for irrigation and also this will reduce water shortages.

Conservation works help farmers by reducing leaching, so farmers will be able to preserve nutrients and productivity will increase.

“If conservation works are ignored even roads will be degraded by rains and form gullies,” said Eng Madzoyo. “Some roads are inaccessible because of gullies. Soil erosion is so intense that some farms are inaccessible and farmers fail to transport their produce to the markets.  “Use of machinery will also be affected, combine harvesters and planters will not be able to pass through.”