LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
Government is accelerating the construction of dams across the country as Zimbabwe moves to reduce reliance on rain-fed agriculture, Lands and Agriculture minister Anxious Masuka has said.
The administration is pushing to move double the irrigable land to 300 000 ha in the next three years to mitigate effects of climate change.
“Accelerating dam construction projects in all provinces using the new policy concept of “the integrated project” is the new government going forward.
“We don’t want to develop an irrigation facility without looking into drinking water and electricity,” Masuka said.
The Lands Ministry is undertaking dam construction and borehole drilling in various areas across the country.
The development is set to increase the size of irrigable land as Zimbabwe moves to produce crops all year round.
There are also ongoing small scale irrigation facilities in the country such as Chiduku – Tikwiri in Manicaland, Chitora in Mash East and Fuwe Panganayi in Masvingo.
The Lands Ministry in conjunction with Environment, Water and Climate Ministry are targeting 200 hectares of irrigated land per district in a bid to improve productivity levels per hectare.
The yield per hectare for maize dropped to 0.82 hectares during the 2021/2022 summer cropping season from 1.39 tonnes per hectare achieved the previous year due to dry spells.
The reasoning behind these low cost irrigation schemes is to help old resettlement, communal and A1 farmers to grow crops all year round and to shield them from drought.
Of the irrigable land 50 000 ha is under sugar estates and the remaining 100 000 ha comprises of A1 and A2 farming sectors, small holder and communal sectors, large private sectors and Arda estates.
Low cost irrigation equipment is being supported through cordial relations that Zimbabwe has with China, Russia, India, Spain, Brazil and Belarus.
Irrigation facilities will be extended to every strategic crop and livestock as part of efforts to achieve the desired results in all areas of the supply chain.
The programme is mainly benefiting A1 and communal farmers to enhance their tonnage per hectare.
The government has extended the irrigation programme to institutions such as prisons, churches and mission schools, among others so that they can be able to sufficiently provide food for their people and the surrounding communities.
