NEARLY 30 000 households across the country are set to benefit from the irrigation
rehabilitation programmes expected to bring more than 350 000 hectares under
crops, boosting the food security and reducing climate change effects nationwide.
Under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS 1), the Government is targeting
expanded irrigation development and water harvesting to enhance agriculture
production and productivity, a senior Government official has said.
In his speech after touring Mushandike Irrigation Scheme, Minister of State for
Presidential Affairs and Monitoring Implementation of Government Programmes, Dr
Jorum Gumbo, said new irrigation schemes are meant to alleviate the challenges
faced by smallholder farmers.
“Under the NDS1, the Government has also revived the Irrigation Development Fund
and resources are being directed towards irrigation development and irrigation
infrastructure rehabilitation. The adoption of new irrigation initiative is meant to
mitigate the challenges faced by small holder farmers due to climate change and to
service areas where water is not found in abundance,” he said.
“I am informed that over 27 700 disadvantaged rural households are expected to
benefit from the irrigation rehabilitation programme. In addition it is envisaged that
the programme contributes to the resilience of smallholder farming communities by
reducing their vulnerability to food and nutrition insecurity and effects of climate
change.”
Some of the schemes that have been revived include Fuve-Panganai in Zaka,
Mutambara, Mtshabezi and Makorokoro in Masvingo, Manicaland and Matabeleland
South provinces respectively.
He said future irrigation development methodologies should be a whole value chain
approach that includes production, access to affordable seed, fertiliser and markets.
Dr Gumbo commended the work at Mushandike irrigation scheme and encouraged
the farmers to grow from being household farmers to commercial producers.
Mushandike Irrigation Scheme just 15 kilometres south of Masvingo has 565
households benefitting directly, with each allocated land under the project.
Built in 1939, the scheme is one of the oldest in Zimbabwe.
Since 2002 it has experienced severe water shortages, resulting in poor crop yields.
The low crop yields have led to loss of incomes for the smallholder farmers, who
constitute the irrigation scheme and this has led to conflicts over access to water.

The water stress at the scheme has been largely attributed to climate change and
the uncontrolled expansion of the land under irrigation which is currently about 1000
hectares against a design area of 613 hectares.
Dr Gumbo said he was happy with new efforts to address water shortages affecting
maximum production.
“The shortage of water at the scheme has been largely attributed to climate change
and the obsolete infrastructure, no longer fit for purpose. I am happy that efforts are
being made to address these challenges through canal and storage dam
rehabilitation, replacement and repair of hydraulic structures and supply of irrigation
equipment.”
“The expectation is that the scheme should graduate from being a source of nutrition
to local households to an income-generating project. I am therefore pleased to note
that the farmers have been linked with the Grain Marketing Board, Cairns Foods and
other local markets for their produce. I have no doubt that these linkages will make
smallholder farmers relevant in the economy.”