Ngondoma Irrigation Scheme is located in Zhombe, Kwekwe District in Zimbabwe's Agro-Ecological Region Three. The average annual rainfall for the location is 550 mm. The scheme area is 44.4 4 hectares. Of the 179 farmers in the scheme, 134 are women. It comprises members from various villages, including villagers from Chief Njelele side, Gokwe District on the other side of Ngondoma River.
Inception
The scheme was established in 1968, and only 12 to 20 farmers having plots measuring up to one hectare each were at the inauguration of the 33 ha. By 1988 the plot holders had increased to 69. Ngondoma Irrigation Scheme sketch
Extension
The scheme has since been extended up to 44.4 ha. Nowadays the plot holders have increased to 179 and 134 of them are women. Each farmer holds at least 0.2 ha. of land in the scheme.
There is another extension of the scheme at a different location altogether called 'Ngondoma Irrigation Scheme Extension'.
'Ngondoma Irrigation Scheme Extension' is 2 km upstream just a kilometre shot of the Kadoma-Gokwe Road. The hectarage is about 6.8ha fully utilised. The extension is known as Mushonga irrigation though not its official name.
Mushonga irrigation is supplied by the same literal canal that supplies the main irrigation scheme. It has no night storage.
External Beneficiaries
About 80% of the water released from the dam reaches the irrigation's night storage. The other 20% is shared among animals and people upstream. People at Columbina Rural Service Center also fetch water for building, washing and other uses from the canal that transports water to Ngondoma Irrigation Scheme.
Soil Texture
Soils are predominantly reddish-brown and rough pH ranges of 6.0-6.8 throughout the whole scheme.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development
Ngondoma was one of the eight irrigation schemes that benefitted from the farm equipment sourced by the government from Brazil. It received Tractors, ploughs, rome discs, fertiliser spreaders and planters. Most farmers no longer use animal drawn ploughs on their plots because tractors are efficient, fast and cheaper.
Management
Ngondoma Irrigation Scheme is one of the successful farmer managed schemes in Zimbabwe. The scheme is fully farmer managed, through the democratically elected Irrigation Scheme Management Committee which has to be in office for two years before yet another election. The committee is supported by AGRITEX workers. An Extension Worker who is a government employed graduate in Agricultural Science and Practice provides technical advice to both the Irrigation Scheme Management Committee and the farmers.
Usual Crops
Main crops are vegetables, okra, beans and maize. Tomatoes are not grown by many farmers unless they are contracted by a reliable company.
Marketing
Green maize buyers come from places such as Columbina Rural Service Center, Empress Mine Township and even as far as Kadoma, Kwekwe, Gweru and Harare. Buyers provide their own transport. Okra buyers are usually from among the farmers themselves. The buy from other farmers at producer price and ferry tonnes of okra to Bulawayo where they wholesale it to market stall holders at Rankini. Beans, butternuts, cucumbers, green paper, vegetables and other crops have cash markets from the local community and the surrounding towns. Sometimes farmers are contracted to produce tomatoes in bulk.
Comments
Ngondoma Irrigation Scheme is highly productive and profitable because of good soils, adequate water supply throughout the year, and good management. It is also one of the cheapest run irrigation schemes for the government because water supply is almost free throughout the year because the canal uses no electricity or fuel, unlike its sister scheme Senkwasi Irrigation Scheme17 km South, whose services are regularly interrupted by ZESAelectric power load shedding. The largest irrigation scheme in Zhombe Communal Land; Exchange Irrigation Scheme like Senkwasi uses electricity to drive water pumps.
