Shashe Trust brings life to Beitbridge through irrigation

MATABELELAND South Province is one of the drought-prone areas in the country where crop farming does not do well given low rainfall totals.

Such dry areas can only produce enough food through irrigation farming, which requires serious investment in infrastructure development.

Generally, many small holder farmers in the province have worked very hard to sustain crop husbandry with the aid of irrigation water. Major irrigation projects are located near water bodies or along rivers.

However, some of the farmers are finding it hard to maintain existing infrastructure and sustain operations due to a number of challenges including climate change.

There are a number of such projects, which are a source of livelihood to at least 40 percent of the rural population in Matabeleland South.

Some irrigation infrastructure has succumbed to wear and tear or has been destroyed by wild animals among them elephants. In this province lies the 120 hectares Shashe Irrigation Scheme, which for the better part of the two decades was fast grinding to a halt due to a number of challenges.

The project draws irrigation water from Shashe River and is located some 110km west of Beitbridge town and has over 600 plot holders. Advancing beneficiation and/or value addition to agricultural and mining resources is one of the major issues under the 10 point plan for economic growth.

Government directly or indirectly, has been working on a number of interventions and courting development partners to rehabilitate strategic irrigation schemes across the country. The Shashe project is among the beneficiaries of the country’s agrarian reform programme. It has now become a model project for Beitbridge District producing several tonnes of oranges to supply the Schweppes run Beitbridge Juice Plant. A development partner, Cesvi, has also stepped in to help with technical knowledge and capacity building to the plot holders who are now into serious citrus production and horticulture.

With the view of operating as a business entity, the plot holders have since established the Shashe Irrigation Scheme Trust led by former Beitbridge Rural District Council (BBRDC), chief executive officer, Mr Albert Mbedzi. Although the initiative to create the trust was muted a few years ago, it was registered in February last year.

“This is an integral project we need to carry forward and create a model irrigation project. It all started with a conversation with one investor, who later developed an interest in setting up a juice plant here and hence the birth of this project,” said Mr Mbedzi.

“Citrus is one of the economic drivers of Beitbridge because of our climatic conditions and soils. We have managed to get partners in the form of Cesvi in 2011. The first trees were put in 2012 and in 2016 we delivered 71 tonnes to the Beitbridge juice plant.

“According to technical projections, this year we expect 350 tonnes and at full potential we expect 6 000 tonnes. This will translate to $1 million we can raise from this citrus project.”

He said the Trust was meant to ensure members of the community derive maximum benefits from the irrigation scheme. Mr Mbedzi said they have also engaged Safire among other players to help with capacity building and strengthening of administrative structures.

He added that Schweppes Zimbabwe had also availed $70 000 for capacity building and rehabilitation of the irrigation pipeline at the project. All this is meant to create employment for the local community especially the youth.

“The other objective is to deal with poverty eradication as enshrined with the Government’s economic blue print-Zim-Asset,” said Mr Mbedzi.

“In addition we want to deal with issues relating to food security by making this project self-sustaining. This project has a lot or potential to create massive employment opportunities for our children at both the field and juice plant, where we deliver the produce. In 10 years’ time there will be tremendous development around Shashe and Beitbridge district as a whole.”

The Trust has started working on diversifying operations to horticulture ad producing stock feeds among other by-products. As a result, Mr Mbedzi said that Shashe project had attracted a lot of investors and they are working on constructing a guest house to provide accommodation to those who want to visit the Greater Mapungubwe Trans-frontier Conservation Area (GMTFCA).

The GMTFCA is made up of national parks from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Further, the irrigation scheme has been attracting attention with tourists camping in the same area annually for the Tour De Tuli and Wild Run tourism expeditions.

Headman Lemohang Mahopolo Nare who is also part of the Shashe Irrigation Trust said: “This is like a dream come true. The project has created the much needed jobs for members of the community. The level of commitment here is encouraging and it is critical that we leave a legacy for our children through such projects aimed at championing sustainable development.

“We are working on introducing a zero grazing project and ruminate rearing as we expand the project going forward”.

He said members of the community were also looking for alternative markets in Bulawayo, Gwanda and other towns. Headman Mahopolo said the success of the Shashe project was testimony of high level of coordination and unity among the traditional leaders and the plot holders.

A local economist, Mr Maxwell Ngwenya, said it was very critical for the project’s board of trustees to manage it as a modern business entity.

“It is very critical for the board of trustees to work towards ensuring the growth and perpetual continuity of this project.

“If all opportunities are fully exploited and financial discipline is maintained, the Shashe initiative has the potential to turn fortunes for many people around Maramani Communal lands and Beitbridge district,” he said.

BBRDC, chief executive officer, Mr Peter Moyo said, though they had managed to resuscitate the Shashe project, they were seeking strategic partnerships with development agencies in rehabilitating major irrigation schemes in the district. He said most of the schemes are in a state of collapse or facing extinction, despite lying on the Umzingwane and Limpopo Rivers respectively.

Some of the major projects include; Bili, River Ranch, Kwalu, Jalukanga, Tongwe, Chamaswiswi, Tshikwalakwala and Shashe among others.

Mr Moyo said so far Cesvi had shown an interest in a partnership to repair River Ranch and Kwalu Irrigation Scheme. He said the non-government organisation was interested in citrus, maize and wheat production.

“They are looking at introducing citrus production, wheat and maize. You will note that we lie in agricultural natural region five where crop husbandry is a challenge outside irrigation farming. River Ranch has a great potential to turn the fortunes of people in Ward 6 because of its close proximity to the Beitbridge town market,” he said.

“We also need assistance in revamping Tshikwalakwala Irrigation Scheme, which has 65 hectares lying idle. These projects can make a huge difference for members of the community considering that we have the Beitbridge Juice Plant, which is willing to buy oranges in bulk”.

Mr Moyo said the situation at most irrigation schemes was worsened by flash floods, which destroyed key infrastructure including fences and canals. He said though the district was good for livestock production it was wise to blend that with crop production mainly through irrigation farming.

Mr Moyo added that it was also important to capacitate members of the community with modern projects planning and management.

“We need a strong capacity building programme that will see many members of the community benefiting from diversified farming. They need to run these projects as business entities for them to rip maximum benefits,” said Mr Moyo.

BY Thupeyo Muleya