Marondera (New Ziana) – The government on Tuesday launched a farm machinery and irrigation facility meant to capacitate agricultural colleges in the country.

The launch was held at Kushinga Phikelela National Farmers Training College in Marondera, in Mashonaland East province.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement permanent secretary Dr John Bhasera presided over the launch.

“The facility will see all the 8 agricultural colleges in Zimbabwe each receive a 10-hectare irrigation center pivot,” he said.

Dr. Bhasera urged the beneficiaries to utilize strategic partnerships and collaborations to enhance their capacities.

Apart from the irrigation equipment, which is being sourced from a local irrigations supplier Maka, the colleges also received tractors and motorcycles.

Each college will receive a tractor and two motorcycles.

Speaking at the same event, Mashonaland East Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Applonia Munzverengi hailed the initiative.

“Mashonaland East is an agrarian economy and therefore it is befitting to capacitate our agricultural college so that it becomes an agricultural hub,” she said.

“The Province has a capacity of irrigating 62 000hectares but only 18 000 is under functional irrigation currently.”

She said new irrigation projects were in the pipeline including the Rwenya irrigation in Mudzi, Nyatana dam irrigation in Pfungwe, Muchekeranwa dam irrigation in Marondera and Chivhu dam irrigation in Chikomba district.

“The province has targeted to increase yields of crops under cultivation in the Province,” she said.

Kushinga Phikilela College principal said Balisi Nleya commended the government for the initiative.
He said incapacitating agricultural colleges with appropriate technologies would go a long way in improving human capital development.

New Ziana