WATCH:Future of Zimbabwe’s agriculture lies in irrigation

WHILE most communal farmers in the Matabeleland region started planting recently following the delay of the rains, the Bubi Lupane Irrigation Scheme has a thriving maize crop, a testament that the future of the country’s agriculture is in irrigation.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka is today expected to visit the irrigation scheme.

The Government has taken deliberate steps to ensure national food security through increasing the hectarage under irrigation.

Bubi Lupane Irrigation Scheme is leading transformative agriculture and rural industrialisation as the Government is implementing the V30 Accelerator Model where communities partly own the irrigation scheme.

The Agriculture and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) provides expert management of the 180-hectare plant where 90 local community members are also partly owners as well as employees.

Apart from the maize crop, there is also sunflower that is being planted.

The agriculture sector is believed to be key in transforming the country into an upper-middle-income economy as most rural community members are employed in the sector.

Various stakeholders in the agriculture sector are part of today’s ministerial engagement.

The country is in the middle of the El Nino weather season characterised by low rains and high temperatures.

To cushion communities from the adverse effects of climate change, the Government is employing several climate-proof agriculture methods at communal and commercial levels.

At the communal level, farmers are encouraged to implement the Pfumvudza/Intwasa climate-proofing method while at the commercial level, irrigation is adopted.