Zim must resolutely pursue irrigation development plan

THE past two summer cropping seasons have showed how our agriculture is unsettlingly reliant on climate conditions that are increasingly becoming variable.

While we might be celebrating a bountiful harvest from the 2024/2025 summer cropping season, which has made the country food-secure again, this was largely because of good rains occasioned by the La Niña weather phenomenon.

The same was true in the preceding 2023/2024 summer cropping season, where output in the sector was drastically cut by the opposite phenomenon — El Niño.

The resultant drought left more than 2,7 million Zimbabweans in need of food assistance, according to the World Food Programme.

In the wake of climate change, unpredictable weather conditions have become the norm. However, President Mnangagwa is clear-eyed on what Zimbabwe has to do to climate-proof our agriculture to not only guarantee food security but boost rural incomes.

Under the 2021-2025 Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Plan, his administration plans to put 350 000 hectares (ha) under irrigation by year-end.

This ambitious plan is not just a policy proposal; it is a lifeline for Zimbabwe’s food security and economic revival.

If executed effectively, this can shield the country from climate shocks, restore its agricultural dominance in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and lay the foundation for sustainable growth.

By expanding irrigable land, Zimbabwe can also decouple its agricultural productivity from the whims of the weather.

Countries like Egypt and Israel, which have arid climates, have thrived agriculturally by prioritising irrigation. Zimbabwe, with its abundant water resources — including major dams like Tugwi-Mukosi — can ably follow suit.

Properly managed, irrigation can ensure year-round production, reducing reliance on rain-fed single-season farming and guaranteeing consistent food supplies.

Indeed, under the Second Republic, we have increased the pace with which we are expanding the land under irrigation.

We are now developing irrigation at an average 8 000ha to 9 000ha per year, up from the previous 2 000ha a year, which is a historic milestone.

Earlier last year, the President also presided over the inaugural Zimbabwe Irrigation Investment Conference, whose major objective was to canvass for investment into this critical sector.

More than nine deals were reportedly signed.

The challenge is now to expeditiously translate the deals into real projects that enable us to meet the targets that we have set for ourselves.

The benefits can be far-reaching and immense.

Studies show that irrigated maize output can be three times higher than rain-fed yields.

This means, with 350 000ha under irrigation, Zimbabwe could produce an additional 1,5 million tonnes of maize annually, enough to meet domestic demand and generate surplus for export.

Beyond maize, irrigation supports high-value crops like wheat and soya beans, as well as horticultural products, which are crucial for diversifying agriculture and boosting foreign currency earnings.

We have already unlocked our potential in the production of blueberries, showing the inherent potential that lies in horticulture.

Moreover, irrigation can revive Zimbabwe’s beef and dairy sub-sectors by ensuring consistent fodder production.

The country was once a major beef exporter to the European Union.

Reliable irrigation can, therefore, restore pastureland, making it possible to restock national herds, reopening lucrative export markets.

Expanding irrigation will create jobs not only in farming but also in agro-processing, logistics and equipment manufacturing.

Smallholder farmers, who constitute the majority of Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector, stand to benefit.

With irrigation, they can transition from subsistence farming to commercial production, lifting millions out of poverty.

Additionally, irrigation infrastructure projects — such as canal construction, dam rehabilitation and solar-powered water systems — stimulate local industries and attract private investment.

So, our efforts in the agriculture sector should be channelled towards ensuring that our ambitious plan to expand irrigable land comes to fruition.

For decades, Zimbabwe was known as the breadbasket of Southern Africa, capable of feeding its own people while exporting surplus grain to neighbouring countries.

At its peak in the 1990s, the country produced enough maize to export to neighbouring countries like Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. The progress recorded over the past few years indicates that we are well on our way to reclaim this prestigious status.

The time for action is now.

The Government, the private sector and international partners must collaborate to turn this vision into reality.

Zimbabwe’s prosperity depends on it.