Fredrick Moyo
Rupike irrigation scheme situated in Renco Mine, Ward 23, under Chief Nyajena area scooped two awards at the Masvingo Province Irrigation Schemes competitions recently.
Rupike won the Best Overall Managed Scheme and Best Female Managed Scheme awards in the province.
The scheme’s Agriculture, Research and Extension (Agritex) supervisor, Tinashe Chirambadare said the spirit of togetherness and commitment is the centre to all these achievements.
“We are a team here. We work as an entity to achieve our goal as we do not just win, but we produce as a family.
“Our main goal as an agriculture center of excellence is to achieve the 2030 vision set by the President,” said Chirambadare.
Rupike Irrigation Scheme Extension Officer Pretiosa Mhike also indicated how best they are managing and pleasing the public.
“We work as a team that is why our community is proud of us,” said Mhike.
Rupike Irrigation Scheme Chairperson Marry Muzembi indicated that the spirit of maintaining the scheme as it is their source of income has motivated its success.
“We will not let this irrigation scheme collapse as women because that is where we feed from.
“If we see that the scheme is on the verge of collapsing, we try and maintain it and restore it to its position,” said Muzembi.
The competitions’ initial judgment was done on December 14, 2021 where 42 competitors took part where judges consulted the agritex, mechanization and irrigation departments.
The competition promotes irrigation management practices, increased economic activities and improved livelihoods, ensure training, demonstrations, as well as monitoring farmers on good crop practices; marketing; post-harvest storage and processing, ensure proper maintenance of irrigation structure/ infrastructures, interactions between farming community and stakeholders, bill payments and water management and filing and reporting of activities.
Rupike Irrigation Scheme came first with 85 points, while Ruti of Gutu came second and Musaverema in Mwenezi came third on provincial positions.
In the Best Female managed schemes Rupike came first with 82 points while Rupangwana had 63 points and Longdale had 56 points.
At district positions, Mashoko from Bikita came first out of seven schemes with 66 points, while in Zaka Fuve D came first with 74 points out of 5 competitors; St Josephs came first out of six in Chiredzi, Musaverema in Mwenezi came first with 78 points out of 5 participants while Masvuugwa in Chivi, Rupike in Masvingo and Ruti in Gutu also came first with 63, 85, and 82 points respectively.
Rupike, which was set up in 1992 is probably one of the few farmlands that are productive as the scheme sustains not only Rupike farmers but it is also serving surrounding communities.
