Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Post Reporter
HUNDREDS of smallholder farmers at Chibuwe Irrigation Scheme in Chipinge face ruinous crop losses as heavy siltation along Save River chokes water supplies to their fields.
The scheme, one of Manicaland’s oldest smallholder irrigation projects, has long relied on water drawn from the Save River system to sustain its operations, including winter crops.
But farmers say sand and sediment have steadily built up in the riverbed, altering its course and leaving only a trickle flowing into the canals that feed their land. With irrigation vital in an area prone to low and erratic rainfall, the crisis has sparked fears of a sharp fall in harvests, and a direct blow to food security and livelihoods.
Farmers blame upstream land degradation, streambank cultivation and soil erosion for worsening the siltation that now threatens the future of the scheme.
Chipinge Rural District Council Ward 20 representative, Councillor Edmore Mabika said the level of siltation in Save River requires urgent attention, as it threatens the existence of an irrigation scheme on which thousands of community members depend.
“Save River, which is the only source of water for our irrigation scheme, is now overwhelmed by siltation that is threatening production and the viability of the scheme. Last year, farmers planted a number of crops anticipating that rainfall would be augmented by irrigation. As it stands, there is very limited water being diverted from the river into the canals.
“Right now, plot holders have resorted to manual methods, using hoes and shovels to try to remove the sand. This has proved untenable, as the siltation requires heavy machinery to reverse it. Our crops are wilting due to lack of water, and farmers have reduced the area planted for winter crops. Save River is our lifeline, and we are appealing for a scooper so that the siltation can be addressed promptly. The scheme has 670 farmers who rely solely on water from Save River, and six blocks have been severely affected. At the moment, there are beans, winter maize, tomatoes, sweet potato and groundnuts,” said Councillor Mabika.
Bloc A treasurer, Mrs Definite Madzonga said due to the shortage of water, most farmers reduced planting of the main cash crop (beans) and switched to winter maize and tomatoes, which posed profitability challenges as they are highly perishable.
“This is the time we would be busy planting beans, but very few have done so because of water uncertainty. Beans are the main crop here, but we have migrated to winter maize and tomatoes because there is not enough water. This irrigation scheme supports year-round agriculture, which is now being threatened by insufficient water. The collapse of this scheme will have ripple effects, as we supply our commodities countrywide, and it is also a source of nutrition for the community,” she said.
Agricultural experts warn that prolonged siltation could undermine Government efforts to expand irrigation farming in drought-prone regions.
Zimbabwe recently announced plans to increase land under irrigation as part of broader food security and climate resilience strategies.
Community leaders are now appealing for urgent intervention from authorities and development partners to desilt sections of Save River before the situation worsens.
