adminoptimally due to a shortage of rainfall. Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union vice-president Mr Johnson Mapira said it was worrying that most farmers relied on rain-fed agriculture which was becoming unreliable. Crop production, he said, required adequate and even distribution of water, but the country was receiving high rainfall in some instances followed by dry spells, greatly affecting yields.
“Government should allocate more funds towards the revival of the irrigation facilities,” said Mr Mapira. “There is a need to promote capital assets with farmers getting irrigation equipment on credit and paying back over a long period of time.”
Mr Mapira said irrigation farmers could produce throughout the year and boost the country’s food security.
He said this season some farmers got low yields as their crops were severely affected by dry spells.
“This season most farmers with irrigation facilities had a good tobacco crop, while those without irrigation had the crop affected by heavy rains which caused leaching and in some instances the crop went for long period without water resulting in few leaves,” said Mr Mapira.
“There is a need for supplementary irrigation and Zimbabwe can take a leaf from Israel which is using less costly irrigation systems.”
Zimbabwe Indigenous Women Farmers’ Trust president Mrs Depinah Nkomo said although farmers were aware of the advantages of irrigation, they were failing to use the existing structures due to financial constraints.
“Farmers, especially women, are failing to access loans from banks as they do not have title deeds for collateral,” said Mrs Nkomo. “Government should ensure that at least every farmer has a one hectare irrigation facility and in that way we will adequately feed the nation.”
Mrs Nkomo said small-scale farmers could use drip irrigation which did not require large sources of water and was convenient in conserving water.
“We are importing wheat due to inadequate irrigation facilities when we have enough water sources,” she said. “A number of farmers are failing to settle their debts with banks as they are not getting much profits from the farms, but all this can change if we have irrigation and can produce throughout the year.
“Climate change has affected the agriculture sector. Now we cannot rely on the rains as the dates of the onset and last rains have changed. Sometimes we have late rains and all this affects production. It is high time Government invests in small-scale irrigation.”
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made has on several occasions emphasised the importance of irrigation.
He said the sector required adequate funding to enable the buying of materials, fixing and maintenance.
Online Reporter