Luthando Mapepa Manicaland Correspondent
OVER 300 smallholder farmers at Chibuwe Irrigation Scheme in Chipinge are in danger of losing their winter wheat crop due to siltation in Save River caused by riverbank cultivation.

Illegal farming along banks of the river has resulted in farmers failing to access water through their pumps, as its flowing pattern and water table has changed over the years.

This has forced the farmers, who have a combined 400 hectares of sugar beans, to use traditional means of diverting water in the crocodile-infested river to their irrigation pumps.

The water problem will cost the farmers thousands of dollars as Chibuwe irrigation scheme is one the leading sugar bean producer in the country.

Farmers said they are appealing for help to deal with the perennial problem.

Mr Aaron Sithole, who has two hectares of sugar beans, said the crop was now stressed because of water shortage.

The farmers said they were feeling short-changed by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) for not bailing them out despite paying rates every season.

“Bad farming methods along our source of the water has caused untold suffering to hundreds of farmers in our scheme,” said Mr Sithole.

“We have no resources to divert water since Save River is changing its route every season. Our crops have been stressed and if we continue facing this problem we will reap nothing.

“We tried to engage ZINWA to help us with heavy machinery to divert water to our pumps, but nothing materialised.”

Another farmer Mr Daniel Chigariso said siltation in Save River was now beyond farmers’ control.

“We don’t have enough capital to hire heavy equipment to divert water to reach our pumps.

“The situation with Save River is now a perennial problem at Chibuwe irrigation scheme and we are calling on Government to assist us in adopting new irrigation methods such as boreholes.”