Zimbabwe secures major irrigation deals at investment conference

Online Writer

Harare, July 5, 2024 – ZIMBABWE has secured significant agreements at the ongoing Zimbabwe Irrigation Investment Conference to expand the country’s irrigated agricultural land, a key step in ensuring food security and climate resilience.

According to the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, the Ministry of Agriculture, represented by Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri, signed two major deals at the conference held at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare.

The first agreement, worth US$172 million, was signed with representatives from Valley Irrigation. This deal will provide centre pivot irrigation systems to cover 23,000 hectares of land, a significant boost to Zimbabwe’s irrigation infrastructure.

In the second agreement, the Government of Zimbabwe, again represented by Prof Jiri, signed a €51 million deal with Spanish facility from the company Grupo Charmatin through their partners in Zimbabwe Munda Wedu Private Limited. This partnership will go towards developing 12,725 hectares of land, further expanding the country’s irrigated agricultural capacity.

These agreements are in line with the conference’s theme, “Public-Private Partnership for Sustainable and Structured Irrigation Financing to Deliver Food Security, Everywhere Everyday.” They reflect the Zimbabwean Government’s commitment to collaborating with the private sector to climate-proof the country’s agricultural sector and achieve food security.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who addressed the conference earlier, emphasised the importance of innovative and climate-resilient agricultural practices, as well as the need to properly channel essential resources to complement government efforts.

The signing of the agreements is a significant step forward in Zimbabwe’s drive to increase its irrigated land, which the President said has already seen a 24 percent increase since 2019, the fastest pace since independence.

With the new deals, Zimbabwe is well on its way to realising its national irrigation potential of 2 million hectares, a crucial step in the country’s quest for food security and self-sufficiency.