The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Correspondent
BURMA Valley farmers are set to benefit from the rolling out of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) following the allocation of resources to construct a new Nyamataka Bridge.
The old bridge was now a nightmare to farmers especially during the rainy season as it could flood easily, leaving farmers grappling with challenges of transporting their produce to the market.
The construction of the new bridge is expected to chew US$600 000.
Burma Valley is home to banana and avocado farmers.
Horticulture giant, Matanuska is also headquartered there, while companies like Wattle Company and Crake Valley have business interests there.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Honourable Felix Mhona toured the bridge yesterday (Thursday) and rehabilitation of roads and bridges proves that infrastructure development was at the core centre of the Second Republic.
“We are glad that the contractor, Bitumen World is on schedule, and the bridge is on 83 percent completion. This means that our farmers and surrounding communities will not have any challenges this rainy season.
“Resuscitating connectivity is also one of the core values of Government, so the bridge will ensure that people have free movement,” he said.
In a separate interview during a recent tour of Matanuska, Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Manicaland, Honourable Nokuthula Matsikenyeri, said the Nyamakanga Bridge was one of the many projects being implemented by Government under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme in the province.
This is also in line with the National Development Strategy (NDS1).
She said the bridge would ensure that farmers have easy access to the markets.
“This will enable them to meaningfully contribute to Vision 2030 of an upper middle class economy,” she said.
Matanuska commercial director, Mr Richard Chiwandire said their operations were also being affected by the poor state of the bridge.
He said this prompted the company to approach Government for its intervention.
“We lobbied the Ministry of Lands, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development through its permanent secretary, Dr John Basera who helped us by writing a supporting letter to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
“Upon receiving our request, the responsible ministry was very swift and embarked on the project. Without this timely intervention, this year would have been a total disaster in transporting our horticultural produce to the market,” he said.
Mr Chiwandire said the company had suffered huge losses over the past few years as there could not easily transport their produce to the market due to the poor state of the bridge.
“We are really grateful to Government’s timely intervention through the ERRP programme. Once the bridge has been completed, our produce will reach the market without any hassles,” he said.
A banana farmer, Mr Lancelot Mutasa, said the construction of the bridge was a welcome development.
“This road is the only access road to Burma Valley, and the siltation levels and the March 2019 Cyclone Idai-induced floods affected the old bridge. During the days of Cyclone Idai, we were cut off from the rest of the world and this badly affected our operations,” he said.
