Masvingo Bureau
Government is looking for a contractor to clear 10 000 hectares in Kanyemba, Mashonaland Central Province for winter maize initiative to ensure food security in the country.

Expectations are that Government would build on the success of the winter maize initiative in the Lowveld by ensuring that all water bodies are fully utilised to produce grain and reduce food imports that are putting pressure on the fiscus.

This year, over 3 000ha are targeted for the winter maize initiative and traditional grains in the Lowveld, almost 10 times more than the land put under maize in the Lowveld under the same initiative project last year.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga last week revealed that Government was expanding the winter maize initiative to other parts of the country with abundant, but idle water bodies.

The Vice President, who was speaking at a seed maize field day at Mwenezana estates in Mwenezi, said the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development was spearheading selection of a contractor for the Kanyemba winter maize project.

Finance and Economic Development Deputy Minister Clemence Chiduwa on Monday said the Kanyemba irrigation project was on course after tenders were flighted.

“We floated the tenders for the second phase of land clearance in Kanyemba and we should now open the submitted tenders and adjudicate to select the winner. The tender is for clearing 10 000ha that will be put under winter maize.”

He said the Kanyemba irrigation project will be undertaken in phases following a feasibility study done last year.

About 246 hectares were cleared by Government, through the Department of Irrigation and Mechanisation, in the area under phase 1 of the project.

“We flighted a tender for clearing 10 000ha and the project will be done in phases of 1 000ha. Tender for of offices in Kanyemba awarded and the contractor is now on site,” said Deputy Minister Chiduwa.

A contractor awarded a tender to build a 1MW solar power plant to supply electricity had not yet started work, while a tender for the supply and installation of irrigation equipment would soon flighted.

Deputy Minister Chiduwa said Government, under President Mnangagwa, wanted to make sure Zimbabwe fully utilised its vast irrigation potential to engender food security.

He said importing food using scarce foreign currency was tantamount to exporting jobs hence Government’s moves to make sure the nation is food secure.

Besides Kanyemba, other areas targeted for the winter maize project are Bulawayo Kraal in Matabeleland North, Middle Sabi in Manicaland and areas around Zvovhe Dam in Matabeleland South, which are all close to underutilised water bodies.

In Masvingo, the winter maize project has potential to be expanded to cover 10 000 hectares as the province is home to Tugwi-Mukosi Dam and Lake Mutirikwi, the country’s largest inland and second largest inland water bodies in the country respectively.