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Elton Manguwo
IN a move that bolsters agricultural resilience plus food security, Government will be expanding irrigation infrastructure by another 15 000 hectares before the start of the 2024/25 cropping season.
Department of Water Resources and Irrigation Development chief director Engineer Tinayeshe Mutazu yesterday said the move would increase the cumulative area available for irrigation to 234 000 hectares from the current 219 000.
“From this figure, 90 000 hectares will be specifically allocated to summer irrigation to ensure that there is sufficient water for crops during the critical growing season,” said Eng Mutazu.
This targeted development aims to enhance agricultural production and resilience in the face of changing climate conditions.
The area designated for irrigation development totals 496 000 hectares and this figure also includes the current 219 000 hectares.
Government has been spearheading irrigation development in the country and modernising the agricultural sector in line with the current global trends of nurturing sustainable and climate smart agriculture sectors.
“An increase in irrigable land is crucial for supporting the attainment of an empowered and prosperous upper middle-income economy, as well as achieving National Development Strategy (NDS1) targets,” said Eng Mutazu.
For that reason, the US$51 million Pedstock Facility, which is part of the Irrigation Development Alliance (NDA), will cover 12 500 hectares while the Valley Facility will develop 25 000 hectares for US$100 million with operations slated to begin this year.
Additionally, joint ventures and corporate investments, including the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) VIAM model are expected to contribute a further 17 000 hectares for crowd-funding of agricultural developments.
The country boasts numerous water resources with an estimated potential to irrigate more than two million hectares.
“Consequently, we are collaborating with the private sector to harness these water bodies and expand the area available for irrigation,” said Engineer Mutazu.
In the 2024 National Budget the Government earmarked ZiG88 million to drive the development of critical infrastructure projects. These initiatives will focus on expanding irrigation systems and enhancing water conveyancing capabilities.
This strategic objective is expected to be substantially driven by the ongoing construction of new dams across the country.
“By investing in essential water infrastructure, the Government seeks to create conditions that enable farmers to broaden their irrigation-based agricultural activities and fully utilise the nation’s land and water resources,” added Eng Mutazu.
Online Reporter