Banga Irrigation scheme, rehabilitated by the Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Programme and commissioned in April this year, hosted a field day to showcase its winter wheat and the block irrigation system. The learning event was attended by fellow farmers from the greater scheme area, members of another irrigation scheme in the province, traditional leaders, government officials and school children. The scheme currently has 23 hectares under wheat.
In his speech, Guest of Honour who is also Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Hon. Ezra Chadzamira saluted the farmers for their efforts that had seen them contribute to national food security while transforming their own livelihoods. He noted that the efforts of the farmers at Banga were expected to result in improved incomes and food security, two of the key deliverables in attaining country’s Vision 2030. Minister Chadzamira urged other farmers to draw lessons from the example of Banga which had adopted the block system in cultivating its produce.
Farmers from the recently commissioned Fuve Panganai B Irrigation Scheme in Zaka also attended the learning event. The irrigation scheme chairperson for Fuve Panganai B, Mr Ranganai Manyawi said “As a recently commissioned scheme we were pleased to be here to witness for ourselves the adoption of good agricultural practices, which is better that what we have been practicing at Fuve Panganai. Here at Banga we see a sense of unity and organisation among farmers that is worth emulating. We will take what we have earned here for adoption by our own scheme as we realise that this kind or organisation makes the job of marketing very easy.’’
Mrs Olivia Madzima, a marketing committee member echoed the same sentiments, noting that the block system at Fuve Panganai showed a sense of unity among the farmers which was different from their own experience at Fuve Panganai B. She said the block system and amount of same crop cultivated at Banga made it easy to access markets for their produce.