High water bills agitate farmers

TENDAIISHE NYAMUKUNDA

Farmers have expressed disquiet over high irrigation water bills, claiming that this has had a detrimental influence on both the activity and output of the agriculture industry, Business Times  can report.

The President of the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union, Dr. Shadreck Makombe, (pictured) told Business Times that the prices ZINWA is charging for irrigation water are too expensive for the farmers to pay, and they are negotiating with the authorities to lower the prices.

“On issues of the prices of water we are continuously engaging the relevant authority because we still feel that it is still on the high side. It was even more than US$8.00 per 1 hectare, but we still feel  it is on the high side we will continue  to engage, “ Makombe said.

Edward Dune, vice president of Tobacco Farmers Union Trust concurred with Makombe.

“Production costs for most agricultural enterprises are generally on the higher side. These range from fertilizers, chemicals, labour,Zesa,fuel, transport and water. The list is endless,” said Dune.

He added, “Farmers continue to lobby for the reduction of such charges to no avail. As if it’s not enough, weather conditions continue to impact adverse negativity especially with late planted crops. In real terms potential yield is already compromised given the advent of El-Nino and climate change.”

According to Daniel Chinyemba, Chairperson for Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union for Mazowe , charges of water from ZINWA  are extremely  high.

“The charge is so high that it is almost the same as electricity charges which is obviously high due to the cost of maintenance of the electrical infrastructure. As for ZINWA charges there is virtually nothing that is done to the dams or infrastructure that warrants such high costs to the farmer. On the contrary farmers are actually maintaining the dams on their own without the help of ZINWA, “Chinyemba said.

He  added: “What ZINWA has managed to do successfully is allow river bed mining and fake river de-siltation programs which are causing massive siltation  of rivers and rendering irrigation non profitable due to the high wear to the irrigation pumps. River water is all mud and farmers are pumping mud into their fields. Rivers are diverted purposelessly and farming is now seriously endangered.”

Additionally, Chinyemba said regardless  of the high cost from ZINWA, Councils  are also charging extra high charges  on farmers  which is effectively  affecting agriculture  production. “Apart from the extra high charges by ZINWA farmers are now being charged on a monthly basis as opposed to the past when their bills were calculated one time. Even when one is not irrigating they receive astronomical charges as well as very high monthly interest rates from ZINWA, “said Chinyemba.

He added:”As if that is not enough ZINWA subcatchment Councils are also charging farmers very high fees for no reason at all. This is demoralizing and killing the spirit of farming and will obviously drive the country back to shortages. “