Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme chairperson Mrs Veronica Munkuli shows a planter which is one of the equipment that is already on site for the planting of winter crop in Binga on Tuesday. (Picture by Eliah Saushoma)
Oliver Kazunga recently in Binga
BULAWAYO Kraal Irrigation Scheme in Binga has finally taken off with the planting of seed maize on 150 hectares expected to begin next week.
The irrigation scheme, which was initiated in 2004, has been failing to take off due to funding challenges.
Scheme chairperson Mrs Veronica Munkuli said planting under the first phase of the project was set to begin next week after the scheme received adequate mechanisation support from the Government.
“For years, the Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme project has been idle before the First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe recently sourced farming equipment comprising tractors, knapsack sprays, water pumping units, and disc ploughs, among others.
“As you can see we are busy with tilling of the land and by next week Monday we should start planting, which exercise would be complete by June 15,” she said.
When Business Chronicle visited the irrigation scheme, some of the project’s members were busy with preparations for the first phase of cropping with key inputs such as fertiliser and seed already on site.
The multi-million dollar project that covers 16 000 ha draws water from Zambezi River. Mrs Munkuli said recent test runs of pipes to draw water from the Zambezi were done but some of them suffered bursts and engineers were fixing them in preparation for planting next week.
“Initially, we had targeted planting 200 ha but because of the size of our water pipes we will under the first phase put about 150 ha under seed maize,” she said.
So far, 250 ha of land has been cleared.
“We have been contracted by a local seed house to produce seed maize. At the moment, we are focusing on maize and we are also planning to do horticulture,” said Mrs Munkuli.
The Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme has been identified as one of the key economic development projects in Binga District expected to create thousands of jobs as well as contributing significantly to the country’s national food security in line with Zim-Asset under the food and nutrition cluster. The irrigation scheme is also earmarked for sugarcane, sugar beans, bananas, wheat, soya beans among other crops.
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