adminSamuel Kadungure and Luthando Mapepa
THE construction of canals and other social infrastructure at 10 irrigation schemes that received funding under the Food and Agriculture Organisation Smallholder Irrigation Support Programme (PAO-SIP) is complete with the next step being the selection of contractors to drill boreholes.
The schemes are Tonhorai and Gudyanga (Chimanimani), Maunganidze, Gwerudza-Madzadza A and B, Musikavanhu A5 and B2 and Mutema (Chipinge) and Chiduku-Tikwiri and Chiduku-Ngove (Makoni).
These smallholder irrigation schemes have been performing poorly as a result of technical and financial problems that include blocked canals, aging irrigation equipment and erratic power supply are among the factors that led to underutilisation.
The FAO funding is concentrating its efforts in areas that have been found to be too dry for successful crop production without irrigation, as well as those that are susceptible to periodic seasonal droughts, prolonged mid-season dry spells and unreliable starts of the rainy season.
Manicaland projects are being funded to the tune of 3 million euros — spread for over five years — which has two components; namely irrigation infrastructure rehabilitation and capacity building, market linkages and agro processing/value addition and beneficiation.
The schemes vary in sizes — but combined — they add up to 600 hectares and is expected to have a positive impact on 15 000 farming beneficiaries in the respective districts.
The capacity building initiative involves training of key stakeholders, farmers and irrigation management committees so that they are able to manage their schemes viably.
This will be done through, improving irrigation infrastructure, capacity development of farmers to practice irrigation farming as a business and strengthening of community-level irrigation management committees.
The schemes were operating below capacity — having been blighted by a myriad of operational bottlenecks such as broken down irrigation equipment and infrastructure, gullies and soil erosion, as most of them have no conservation measures as a result of past floods.
Speaking on the sidelines of National Tree Planting Day in Chipinge last week, FAO Manicaland Provincial Facilitator, Mr Simbarashe Marwei, said the funding was targeted for the development of smallholder irrigation facilities in communal and old resettlement areas in Manicaland and Matabeleland South.
“The projects are already underway and we are rehabilitating the irrigation equipment at these schemes. Our key goal is to renovate equipments since smallholder irrigation schemes utilises machines for production increment,” said Mr Marwei.
Mr Marwei said FAO would aspire to extent the establishment and development of agro-economic markets for smallholder farmers’ production.
“The project also aims to build capacity and skills by teaching farmers to approach farming as a business, increase productivity and achieve household food security,” said Mr Marwei, adding that farmers were being assisted with construction of a conservatory contour ridge and afforestation activities to prevent soil erosion.
A source privy to the development also added: “Construction of canals, toilets and other repairs was completed. What is left is water supply. The rehabilitation and sinking of additional boreholes to power irrigation is still outstanding and the selection of contractors is in progress. Linked to this is the supply and installation of new pumps.
“Some farmers have started planting, but the major problem is water supply, especially in light of the high temperatures we are experiencing in the country. Water is critical for the success of these projects”.
The rehabilitation and expansion of these schemes will have a huge impact as it will enable the country to attain its agricultural goal of improving food and nutritional security at household level.
The funding by the EU bloc fits squarely in Zanu-PF Government’s thrust, as enshrined in its economic blue print — the Zim-Asset — to achieve food security and surplus to feed downstream industries.
Zimbabwe has capacity to irrigate 2 244 800 hectares.
Despite the existing enormous irrigation development potential in the country, only about 206 000ha is equipped, of which 150 000ha is currently under irrigation.
About 154 500ha fall under the commercial sub-sector whilst 51 500ha fall under the communal sub-sector.
The communal irrigation sector with a total equipped area of approximately 10 000ha is the most affected and vulnerable having less than 65 percent of the schemes fully functional.
Zimbabwe is working hand-in-glove with irrigation experts from Israel, Brazil, India, China, Austria, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Belarus, Egypt, Iran and Italy.
Online Reporter