Govt targets 20k ha for Tokwe-Mukosi irrigation

George Maponga in Masvingo

Government has dispatched teams to carry out feasibility studies on areas downstream of Tokwe-Mukosi Dam in southern Chivi district, where plans are afoot to develop 20 000 hectares of irrigation using water from the recently completed reservoir.Tokwe-Mukosi Dam will have the capacity to irrigate 25 000 ha when full, and Government has already started preparations to exploit the dam’s water to end perennial food shortages caused by drought in Masvingo province.

The dam was completed on December 10 last year, and has so far collected 400 million cubic metres of water, enough to irrigate about 10 000 ha.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development responsible for Cropping Davis Marapira said teams were already on the ground to carry out evaluations on the cost of developing irrigation infrastructure downstream of Tokwe-Mukosi Dam.

“There are teams that are busy on the ground carrying out assessments on areas where land will be developed for irrigation using Tokwe-Mukosi water, and the findings of these teams will help us to determine the total cost of the irrigation development programme for the 20 000 hectares that we want to develop,’’ he said.

“The major challenge for Government has been lack of funding, but we are looking at developing irrigation systems in areas downstream of the dam on both sides of the Tokwe River. We have lots of irrigable land in the southern parts of Chivi, Mwenezi and Chiredzi.’’

Deputy Minister Marapira said while over 3 000 families who were displaced by the Tokwe-Mukosi Dam will be given priority to benefit from the dam’s water, Government also wanted a commercially-viable plan for the dam.

“Once we are able to establish the exact financial package required to develop irrigation systems at Tokwe-Mukosi, we will also consider approaching private companies to come on board,’’ he said.

Government wants Tokwe-Mukosi Dam water to be used to create a green belt in southern Masvingo and make the province the nation’s bread basket.

Agro-processing industries are expected to open shop in areas around the Lowveld, where crops will be grown all year round using Tokwe-Mukosi Dam water.

After the completion of Tokwe-Mukosi Dam, Masvingo now has the highest dam density in Zimbabwe and the province will become the country’s irrigation hub if water from all its dams is optimally used to produce food and cash crops.