AGRICULTURE: 15 irrigation schemes come online

This map shows parts of the country which according to preliminary indications were hard hit by prolonged dry spells

Government will this month start commissioning 15 major irrigation schemes to ensure high maize yields even if the country experiences droughts or prolonged mid-season dry spells in future.

Some schemes have been idle for over 10 years and were upgraded over the last two years in line with Government’s resolve to increase irrigable land from 150 000 hectares to 220 000 hectares by 2018 in line with the Zim-Asset targets on food security and nutrition.

Nyanyadzi, Nhowe, Birchenough, Masvingo, Mushandike, Magube and Chiredzi are among the projects scheduled to be operational come month-end.

Irrigation schemes such as this one in Gwanda will produce better yields than some areas which solely depended on the rains

Nyanyadzi Irrigation Scheme in Chimanimani, Manicaland, is one of Zimbabwe’s oldest, and most of the equipment installed in the 1970s had become obsolete.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister Mr Davis Marapira said: “I have been going around the country to assess progress in rehabilitating 15 of our major irrigation schemes.

‘‘The exercise will be completed within two weeks, and we expect to start commissioning.

“We have all seen how over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture is no longer viable given the shifting weather patterns brought about by climate change. We have been investing our efforts in ensuring the schemes are up and running in line with our Zim-Asset targets.”

Zim-Asset’s Food Security and Nutrition Cluster sets irrigation equipment rehabilitation and low-cost mechanisation as one of its priorities in 2015.

Recently, Government said it had secured US$6,3 million from Switzerland to rehabilitate irrigation schemes in Masvingo in preparation for winter cropping.

Authorities are also working on dam construction and rehabilitation under the Climate Change Response Strategy.