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Elton Manguwo
Irrigation development in the country has the potential to de-risk agricultural production and also grow investments in the sector, a senior Government official has said.
This comes as Government is fast tracking irrigation development, a strategic move set to climate proof agriculture production.
Addressing delegates at the 2023 Annual Irrigation Stakeholders Indaba held in Harare yesterday, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Dr John Basera said irrigation was important in de-risking agriculture.
“Food security can only be guaranteed if irrigation development meets national demand, we can no longer rely on rain-fed agriculture as a sustainable and viable option to food production in the country,” said Dr Basera.
Climate change is worsening and intensifying water-related disasters, creating complex challenges and threatening lives and livelihoods particularly for the vulnerable.
“These problems are affecting agricultural growth as primary production has become riskier as a result of climate change,” said Dr Basera.
The development comes at a time when Government is calling for private sector investments in the agricultural sector.
“The business aspect of agriculture can only be realised if production can be safeguarded and guaranteed,” he said.
Government is targeting to put 420 000 hectares under irrigation by 2025 to meet the growing demand for irrigation due to climate change effects.
“Our Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Plan (AIRDP) targets to increase dam construction and area under irrigation by over 60 percent by 2025 in addition to adopting climate-proofed intensive conservation agriculture at the smallholder level,” Dr Basera said.
In addition to push irrigation development, the Government is spearheading the construction of 12 high impact dams aimed at modernising the agricultural sector in line with facilitating a modern, sustainable and climate smart agricultural sector.
“Government is embarking on an ambitious water harnessing programme and we are constructing 12 major dam projects accessing 1, 9 billion mega litres to increase harnessing of potable water supply, fisheries and irrigation water for rural and urban development,” he said.
“These strategies are key in the development of the overall economy as they have enabled the country to become food secure again after decades of perennial food insecurity. This includes self-sufficiency in maize and wheat, the major staple crops,”
Government launched a transformational programme whose objective is to drill a borehole in each of the country’s 35 000 villages and 9 600 rural schools to ease access to water for garden irrigation.
The country has many water resources with an estimated potential to irrigate over two million hectares of agricultural land.
“To consolidate the gains achieved at the national level, we need investment in innovation, increased financing, better governance as well as strengthening and collaboration for the management of transboundary water,” said Dr Basera.
Online Reporter