Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
AFTER their land had been lying idle for about a decade, A2 farmers operating at Artherstone Irrigation Scheme in Ward 6 in Insiza District, Matabeleland South Province, have high hopes that they will start to realise bumper harvests that will see them soon becoming a major food source in the province.

One of the five farmers operating in the area, Mr Zenzo Jele is a proud beneficiary of the Government’s land reform programme.
Before the programme Mr Jele was a worker at the farm for his white boss for 25 years. Today he boasts of being a co-owner of the farm.

He said they had been struggling to irrigate all of the land due to resource constraints.

They were then approached by farmers from Cape Town in South Africa who offered to partner with the local farmers to ensure full utilisation of the land.

“I benefitted from the land reform programme together with four other farmers and we were settled at Artherstone Farm which has a total of 5 000 hectares of land. 800 ha of the farm is for irrigation but we were failing to fully utilise the land because of resource constraints. We were farming a small portion of land mainly for our families to eat and not for business purposes. With time the irrigation turned into a forest.

“In 2019 an investor CapeZim approached us and offered to partner with us as they had the resources to ensure that we gradually expand our operations until we fully utilise the land. We are now producing not only to feed our families but for business purposes,” said Mr Jele.

He said at the moment 53ha of land was now under irrigation.

Mr Jele said 25ha was under the maize crop, 25ha was lucerne plant and 3ha had onions.

He said the farming concept they have adopted is to ensure that they farm crops that have a good market and at the same time ensure that they catered for the needs of the community.

“Our intention when we were allocated this farm was to ensure that we turn farming into a business for the betterment of not only our families but the entire community and we are glad that we now have an opportunity to do so.

“Apart from the usual maize crop we have the lucerne plant which is a fodder crop.

Artherstone Irrigation Scheme

“Since we planted it late last year, we have managed to harvest eight times. We planted it once and then from there it has been growing and all we do is mow it like a lawn, harvest it and then it grows again. The lucerne plant can be planted once in seven years then it is harvested continuously without replanting it. We are able to export some of it and then also supply the local community with fodder,” he said.

Mr Jele said plans were underway to introduce more crops as they expanded the hectarage at the irrigation. He said he was now using the experience he acquired over the past 25 years of working as a manager at the farm to successfully co-own it.

Another farmer operating at the irrigation Mr Malachi Nkomo said he was excited about the opportunities which will be presented by this partnership.

He said they wanted to develop Artherstone Irrigation until it became a bread basket of the province and a renowned supplier of food across the nation.

Mr Nkomo expressed gratitude towards Government for affording indigenous people an opportunity to become productive through programmes such as the land reform programme.

CapeZim director Mr Louis Le Roux said R25 million had been invested in the irrigation scheme so far.

“We saw a good opportunity in the sense that there is good water, vast amount of land which is lying idle, good soil and we also realised the need for food in the community. This is just the start of the project and we are yet to expand,” he said.

Insiza District Development Coordinator, Mr Zacharia Jusah said the irrigation would ensure effective utilisation of land and job creation.

He said it will also help alleviate food shortages not only in the district but throughout the province.

“With this project we are seeing utilisation of land that has been lying idle at the irrigation. Community members will also get employment, already about 80 people have been employed at the irrigation. This will also have a huge social impact in the community as people will have access to affordable food. Farmers will also have fodder to feed their cattle during the dry season,” said Mr Jusah. — @DubeMatutu