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Kudakwashe Mhundwa
HARARE – Government says it is working on developing about 200 hectares of irrigation facilities around several districts across the country under its Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation Programme.
Lack of irrigation facilities has hindered many farmers, mainly small scale plot holders from venturing into lucrative sectors such as horticulture and tobacco farming that have seen many transforming their lives.
Agriculture economists, have concurred with the fact that that rain-fed agriculture was increasingly becoming unreliable given the vagaries of recurrent droughts that have also affected farmers in planning.
As a result, different stakeholders in the Agricultural sector are calling on the need to urgently address irrigation development as a way of boosting productivity in the sector.
Zimbabwe is sitting on vast water resources with about 10 000 dams which have the capacity to irrigate more that 2 million hectares.
Secretary for finance and Economic Development George Guvamatanga said in the 2019 Infrastructure Investment Plan that:
“Government has realised the role of irrigation development as a key drought mitigation measure critical in increasing agricultural production.
“Under the National Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation Programme, Government targets development of around 200 hectares per District, utilising the abundant water bodies in the country with support of development partners.
“In this regard, the 2019 budget has set aside $36, 5 million towards the development of 7 000 hectares on 115 irrigation schemes countrywide,” he said.
Bongani Ndlovu