Manoti Garden and Water Project: A Tip of Gokwe’s Iceberg 

Gokwe is in itself an Agricultural Community with its firm based in cotton production. Little is known about other projects that are going on in this community.

It is our pleasure as My Gokwe Media House to adventurously explore the entire community in search of the Gokwe Community Legends.

Through our explorations we met Mr Felex Mungwena, one of the agricultural cogs and shafts in the Gokwe Community, Manoti Area.

He shared with us two projects that are going on in his area, one powered by the Solar System and the other that is electrically powered.

Our, interest was with the one that is Solar Powered, monitored by Mr Mungwena, who is a Agtritex Extension Officer (AEO), Selima Gadza area Chief Mkoka.

We started by asking him about the location of the project.

“The irrigation system is situated 109 km south west of Gokwe Centre just after Manoti Gadza village chief Mkoka.”

When we first heard of the project it appeared as if the project belonged to the community co-operative (Mushandirapamwe).

However, opportunity with Mr Mungwena helped remove this misconception. “Owner is Nomore Nyandoro a.k.a Nyamasvisva or owner of Nyamasvisva transport in Gokwe.”

It’s a new project that began recently but have grown large in size, firm and operations. “It started paLockdown ipapa (during the lockdown),” he said.

The irrigation scheme is powered by the solar and battery system, “4 solar panels 385watts each and batteries.”

This system enables the operations in a large piece of land and the production of a diversified variety of crops.

The plot is 2ha main crops grown are Maize, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, Sweet melon 96 plants, all vegetables we are planning to extend 1ha more as soon as we get good equipment for drip irrigation we have 2 tanks 5000litre each amounting to 10 000ltrs dzopera per day on Maize we have 0.5ha under Pfumvudza concept or CA seed was bought kuSyngenta being MRI 514 it’s at 4 weeks stage we have applied AN so far.

The pumped water is not only used for irrigation purpose but to support livestock life as well.

“Water is also used to drink 64 cattle and 56 goats.”

Mr Mungwena also took time to explain to us the Community benefits in addition to the obvious of providing employment.

“Community is allowed to fetch water, they come and learn especially when I’m doing Pfumvudza lessons or demos because we planted under Pfumvudza, and they sell produce locally.”