Irrigation vital

Masvingo Bureau
Farmers in arid parts of Masvingo that traditionally receive poor rains have been urged to turn to irrigation-fed agriculture to banish perennial food shortages afflicting the province. Newly elected Chivi Rural District council chairperson Cde Killer Zivhu last Friday urged more rural farmers to embrace small-scale irrigation which he said was the only panacea to perennial food shortages in most parts of Masvingo.

Cde Zivhu, who was speaking during a media tour of his small-scale drip irrigation project at his homestead near Ngundu Growth Point in Chivi South said Masvingo’s precarious food security situation could be greatly improved through irrigation.

“The only way we can banish hunger from Chivi and the entire Masvingo province which receives poor rains every year is through irrigation. We must take advantage of the numerous rivers in Masvingo and use them for irrigation and resultantly feed ourselves,” said Cde Zivhu.

“If most farmers are able to set up small scale irrigation schemes using the drip irrigation method I think this will go a long way in boosting food security.’’