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Ashton Mutyavaviri

THE Government’s drive to transform 460 irrigation schemes into viable business units is gaining momentum with 348 entities having already made the grade, thanks to the power of the Vision 2030 accelerator model.

The initiative, which is being spearheaded by the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA), seeks to modernise Zimbabwe’s irrigation systems and optimise their potential to generate income for farmers while ensuring the efficient utilisation of water resources.

ARDA chief executive officer Mr Tinotenda Mhiko confirmed that of all the 460 irrigation schemes, 348 are already at optimal utilisation stage in line with the Vision 2030 accelerator model.

“ARDA is now in the process of registering the schemes as companies. We are changing them from being just irrigation schemes to business units,” said Mr Mhiko.

The Vision 2030 accelerator model was launched by President Mnangagwa in 2021 to stimulate rural industrialisation as part of the Second Republic’s drive to scale up agricultural transformation.

The programme supports the growth of the agriculture industry and is in line with National Development Strategy 1.

It entails the transformation of rural irrigation schemes into viable irrigation scheme business units (ISBU) managed by ARDA.

Mr Mhiko further said the parastatal would be running irrigation projects, as ISBUs under the management of resident ARDA scheme business managers.

“Farmers are the shareholders and get dividends once ARDA harvests and markets the produce. ARDA facilitates transformative linkages for funding and marketing of produce from these rural irrigation schemes,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the Agricultural and Rural Development  Advisory Services (ARDAS) chief director Mr Leonard Munamati said under this transformative plan, the Government would provide technical expertise, financial support and training to irrigation scheme farmers, empowering them to adopt modern farming practices and manage their operations as profitable enterprises.