{"id":1647,"date":"2026-01-25T11:31:43","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T11:31:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/?p=1647"},"modified":"2026-01-25T11:32:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T11:32:11","slug":"irrigation-boost-programme-launched-in-mutasa-south-as-government-warns-against-idle-land","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/2026\/01\/25\/irrigation-boost-programme-launched-in-mutasa-south-as-government-warns-against-idle-land\/","title":{"rendered":"Irrigation Boost Programme Launched in Mutasa South as Government Warns Against Idle Land"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Fanuel Chinowaita<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Minister A.Jongwe Masuka and Hon Mugadza<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mutasa South, 25 January 2026<\/strong>\u2013 The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Hon. Dr. Anxious Jongwe Masuka, has launched the Irrigation Booster Kit Programme in Mutasa South, Enavant, reaffirming government\u2019s commitment to increased agricultural productivity while warning land reform beneficiaries against underutilising allocated land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing farmers at the launch on Friday, the Minister said Zimbabwe\u2019s land reform programme remains irreversible and stressed that beneficiaries must actively farm their land or risk repossession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you fail to farm, I will come and drive you out and bring someone who wants to farm,\u201d the Minister said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He reiterated that Zimbabweans would not repurchase land acquired during the land reform programme, but the government had committed to compensating former white commercial farmers for infrastructure developed on the land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minister referred to the Global Compensation Deed signed on 29 July 2020, under which the government agreed to compensate about 4,000 former farmers for improvements made on farms prior to land reform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will not buy land that was taken from our forefathers, but we will pay for the infrastructure that was done on our land,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Minister, infrastructure on the affected farms is valued at US$3.5 billion, with compensation to be paid in instalments by the government. He emphasised that individual black farmers would not be required to contribute towards the payments.
\u201cNo black individual will pay. The government will pay,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minister also highlighted measures taken to improve security of tenure, citing the launch of title deeds for both A1 and A2 farmers by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on 8 October 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On mechanisation, he clarified that government-issued agricultural machinery was not free, with farmers expected to pay over a seven-year period through financing arrangements facilitated by the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe President will give tractors on 31 March, but they will not be for free. They will be paid over a period of seven years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the Irrigation Booster Programme, beneficiaries will form an Irrigation Business Company, co-managed by an official from the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA). AFC Bank will provide accounts to enable farmers to receive monthly income from the scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ARDA will also supply seeds and fertilisers, with costs recovered when produce is sold through the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Misheck Mugadza, who is also the Member of Parliament for Mutasa South, said the programme would transform agriculture in the district through organised irrigation farming and market-focused production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We have visited the Lavastock Irrigation Booster Kit at Anavante Section in Mutasa District,\u201d Mugadza said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHere, 69 farmers will benefit from the Presidential Productivity Booster Kits Programme, cultivating 381 hectares as an irrigation business unit. The focus is on high-value produce for domestic and export markets, leveraging Mutare\u2019s strategic location and the planned cargo airport to drive Vision 2030,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minister stressed the importance of timely farming operations under irrigation schemes, saying productivity and accountability were central to the programme\u2019s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Irrigation Booster Kit Programme is part of government\u2019s broader strategy to enhance food security, boost exports and ensure land reform beneficiaries contribute meaningfully to national development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Fanuel Chinowaita Mutasa South, 25 January 2026\u2013 The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Hon. Dr. Anxious Jongwe Masuka, has launched the Irrigation Booster Kit Programme in Mutasa South, Enavant, reaffirming government\u2019s commitment to increased agricultural productivity while warning land reform beneficiaries against underutilising allocated land. Addressing farmers at the launch…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1647"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1647\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1649,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1647\/revisions\/1649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewasupost.co.zw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}