Food security for all by 2025

Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter

Government says it will be able to feed the population adequately via the Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Plan which was approved in 2021 to develop 350 000 hectares for summer irrigation by 2025 which will produce 1.8 million metric tonnes of summer cereals annually.

In a Post Cabinet Briefing on Tuesday evening, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Jenfan Muswere said this is part of the Development for National Food Security and Rural Modernisation and Industrialisation.

“This will be enough to feed the population at a planned consumption rate of 120 kilogrammes per person per year although actual consumption is 92 kilogrammes per person per year. During the 39 years extending from 1980 to 2019, the area under irrigation increased by a mere 13 percent, from 150 000 hectares to 169 000 hectares,” said Dr Muswere.

He said relatively, the area under irrigation increased by 28 percent from 169,000 hectares in 2019 to 217,000 hectares in 2024.

“This is the fastest irrigation expansion rate since Independence, courtesy of the Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Plan launched by His Excellency, the President, Cde. Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa. As a result of the launch of the Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Plan, the average irrigable area developed increased from an average of 487 hectares per year during the period from 1980 to 2019 to an average of 9 600 hectares per year during the 5 years from 2019 to 2024,” added Dr Muswere.

He said pertinent to note is that Zimbabwe has over 10.6 billion cubic meters of water in 10 600 dams, capable of irrigating 2.2 million hectares to support the required irrigation expansion drive to a projected 496,000 hectares by 2030.

“In the context of managing climate change, four models are key and instrumental to bringing the envisioned irrigation development Agenda which will ensure that food production is independent of the status of the rainy season, but a function n of the harvested rainfall. These include the following, a model for irrigation development where infrastructure exists, targeting to develop about 20 686 hectares; a model for irrigation development around dams, targeting the existing 10 600 dams; a model for Corporate irrigation development, given that 278 645 people are on the waiting list and 10 000 diasporans have indicated willingness to access land; and model for smallholder irrigation development,” said Dr Muswere.

@NyembeziMu