Irrigation infrastructure conference on the cards

GOVERNMENT is this month expected to hold an irrigation infrastructure conference to help unlock funding for the expansion of hectarage under irrigation amid revelations that only 10 percent of the country’s agricultural land is irrigated.

In an interview during the just-ended Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said the country has more than 10 000 dams capable of supporting the irrigation of 2,2 million hectares of land.

He said at the moment the country has only developed 170 000 ha for irrigation.

The development of irrigation infrastructure is crucial in ensuring that the country attains national food security while cushioning the agricultural sector from the effects of the El Nino-induced drought.

Due to climate change, rain-fed agriculture is increasingly becoming unreliable due to drought, which has since been declared a state of disaster.

Dr Masuka said the irrigation conference is expected to present funding opportunities for the agriculture sector.

“That is where we ought to start to rapidly rehabilitate and expand irrigation so that we can get to the targeted 250 000 ha available for summer irrigation. We have 170 000 ha that are currently available so we have this huge gap that needs to be attended to,” he said.

“We are going to have an irrigation conference in May to try and mobilise resources for this cause to climate-proof agriculture at a national level.”

Dr Masuka said climate-proofing of the agricultural sector at a national level will complement what the Government is already doing at the household level through Pfumvudza/Intwasa.

He said while the Government is constructing 12 dams across the country, the construction of Lake Gwayi-Shangani and Kunzvi Dam in Mashonaland East, are now on the priority list.

“We have 12 dams that are under construction and the instruction has been we can’t do everything at the same time. So for now, we are prioritising Lake Gwayi-Shangani and Kunzvi Dam and resources are being channelled there to enable the first component of these projects which is the impounding of water to be completed,” said Dr Masuka.

“We have invested substantial amounts of US$2 billion to date in terms of the dams, but we can do more.”

In his post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said the country is targeting to place 142 000 ha under irrigation.

“The various crops planned for winter production are wheat on 120 000 ha; barley on 7 000 ha; maize/sorghum on 3 200 ha; and potatoes on 6 750 ha to produce over 800 000 metric tonnes of which 600 000 metric tonnes shall be wheat for food security,” he said.

Dr Muswere said banks, the Presidential Input Scheme, the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda)’s estates and joint ventures, the Food Crop Contractors Association (FCCA) and self-financing will finance wheat production.

Dr Muswere said the Government is putting in place measures to ensure that there is no disruption in winter farming.

“To date a total of 60 139 ha has been contracted under the various schemes, out of which 1 352,5 hectares has already been planted. Government and stakeholders are tracking 11 winter wheat production enablers, mainly power, water, seed, fertiliser, fuel, farmer outstanding payments, finance, co-ordination, monitoring and evaluation, migratory pests, mechanisation and chemicals,” he said. — @nqotshili