Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
LUKOSI Irrigation Scheme in Hwange District is ready to embark on winter wheat cropping this season after receiving seed donations from the Government.

The 29,2ha irrigation scheme was established in 1969 in Dick Village under Chief Nekatambe near St Mary’s. It has 73 members all from the same village and most of them are women.

The irrigation scheme has been growing crops under Command Agriculture and also embraced the Intwasa/ Pfumvudza climate-proofed method last year.

Last Friday a donation of 100kgs of wheat seed was handed over to the irrigation scheme during an event where about 50 youths were given certificates after completing a three-day training in agriculture practices and irrigation.

Village heads lead the Nambya way of greeting Chief Nekatambe at Lukosi Irrigation Scheme on Friday

The countrywide training was organised by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement through its newly established agriculture youth desk in conjunction with the ruling party, Zanu-PF.

The training was aimed at capacitating youths and community members with skills to venture into agriculture and contribute to food security as espoused in the country’s National Development Strategy (NDS1) and Vision 2030. Receiving the seed donation, Lukosi Irrigation Scheme chair, Mrs Lucia Mpala, said they have been facing numerous challenges including water shortage and limited access to inputs.

“We used to grow wheat but stopped because of challenges with water. This year it is better because the dam is full after a good rain season and we hope to be able to irrigate,” she said.

“The seed will help us as a scheme and the whole village because all our lives are dependent on this irrigation,” said Mrs Mpala.

The irrigation scheme uses drip irrigation drawing water from the nearby Luseche/ St Mary’s Dam. Crops such as maize, beans and various types of vegetables are grown on rotation and farmers also have fruit trees.

The farmers have just finished harvesting maize and Mrs Mpala said land preparation for planting of wheat was underway. Some plots are already planted with different kinds of vegetables. —@ncubeleon.