Chronicle Editor
THE Government has said plans are underway to set up irrigation schemes at all the country’s 10 000 dams in the next two to three years as part of efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Zimbabwe has 230 000 hectares of land under irrigation, but the Government plans to increase this to 500 000 hectares to ensure cereal and nutrition security.
“Climate change is with us and damaging our country. As a government, we are coming up with means and ways to mitigate climate change,” Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development Deputy Minister, Vangelis Haritatos, said in Harare as he announced the forthcoming Irrigation Investment Indada set for July 5.
“The start is to ensure that we move away from rain-fed agriculture to climate-smart irrigation development. This is our ministry’s primary concern right now and for the next two to three years.
“Now we are very excited to inform you that on the 5th of July 2024, we have an exciting programme and that is the Irrigation Investment Indaba in Harare. President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa will be the guest of honour. We are expecting many different suppliers of irrigation (equipment and services) to come forward,” he said.
The investment conference will run under the theme “Public-Private Partnerships for Sustainable and Structured Irrigation Financing to Deliver Food Security; Everywhere, Everyday”.
He said the country has been affected by an El Nino-induced drought and failed to produce enough grain because it is lagging on irrigation development, yet the 10 000 dams strewn around the country are 80 percent full.
Deputy Minister Haritatos said the current functional irrigation capacity in the country stands at about 230 000 hectares which is less than the minimum expected 500 000 hectares necessitating the development of an additional 270 000 hectares to ensure the country becomes food self-sufficient.
“Out of the 500 000ha that we are targeting, 350 000ha must be for cereal crops, and 350 000 ha will give us approximately two million metric tonnes of cereal crops.
“We are expecting international investors as well as domestic investors to come to the irrigation indaba. The Government can do its part, but we really need the private sector to come on board.
“We want to tell a story of Zimbabwe. We want to tell people out there what can be done for our people to be food and nutrition-secure. Both domestic and international investors can be part of the solution to guarantee food security and provide a massive prospect in the development of our country,” he said.
Efficient water management is fundamental for boosting agricultural productivity and ensuring food security.
Such initiatives become critical as Zimbabwe is predicted to become drier in the decades ahead, with an increased frequency of extreme weather events, therefore climate-proofing agriculture through accelerated irrigation development must be pursued with the energy and urgency that it deserves.
Since 2018, the Government has funded the construction of 12 high-impact dams countrywide, including Lake Gwayi-Shangani, Ziminya; Tuli Manyange, Kunzvi, Marovanyati, Muchekeranwa, Vungu; Silverstroom, Dande, Bindura and Semwa.
Irrigation schemes around Mtshabezi Dam, Silalabuhwa Dam, Tuli River-Sebasa and Makwe Dam have also been rehabilitated and equipped.
In Matabeleland North, the Government rehabilitated the Bubi-Lupane Irrigation Scheme.
In addition, about 10 000 village business units are set to be completed this year under a new initiative geared towards accelerating the development of strategic ventures in rural communities, underpinned by small-scale irrigation.
New Ziana/Chronicle Writer
Online Reporter