In this story:
- Govt courts private sector to exploit 2.2 million hectares national irrigation potential
- Irrigation conference to produce ‘actionable results’ to accelerate climate-proofing
By Conrad Mwanawashe
ZIMBABWE, which is ordinarily a food secure nation, is currently grappling with El Niño induced severe droughts, prompting President Emmerson Mnangagwa to cajole agribusiness stakeholders to urgently ‘think outside the box’ for the purpose of de-risking the nation from the vagaries of climate change.
Similarly, President Mnangagwa said, stakeholders and communities alike, should accelerate the implementation and adoption of mechanisms to climate-proof the agriculture sector, beginning at household level.
President Mnangagwa was officially opening the Zimbabwe Irrigation Investment Conference, Friday which was running under the theme; ‘Public-Private Partnerships for Sustainable and Structured Irrigation Financing to Deliver Food Security; Everywhere, Every Day,
“We are determined to efficiently use our national water capacity stock, including underground water resources, for the holistic socio-economic development of our country and the region. Prospects exist for sustainable partnerships as we march forward, towards attaining the country’s irrigation potential of 2 million hectares,” said President Mnangagwa.
“We welcome investments and partnerships for the development of additional land for irrigation purposes around new dams for cereal production, high-value crops and pastures.”
Agriculture contributes about 14% to Zimbabwe’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),
provides employment for about 70% of the population, and about 60% of all raw materials for industry.
Poor rainfall seasons, including the El Nino phenomenon that ravaged Zimbabwe and other parts of the SADC region during the current 2023/2024 agricultural season has underscored the importance and urgency with which the country needs to build resilience against climate variability and change.
Therefore, government is prioritising irrigation development to decisively move away from overreliance on rain-fed agriculture through various initiatives. These include the Public Sector Investment Programme and interventions by development partners and the private sector.
Irrigation Development Justification
-The projected national irrigation potential is 2.2 million hectares from the more than 10 600dams and water bodies.
-Agriculture production that is anchored on irrigation is both reliable and highly productive. It offers a real opportunity for all year-round production on the land, there by optimising on the utilisation of the land itself, labour and machinery resulting in improved farmer cashflows and income.
-The projected area to be developed is 496 000 ha made up of the current developed and functional 217 000 ha, and 275 000 ha additional area required during summer, which is meant to increase area available for maize for maize
The total hectarage under irrigation, has between 2019 and 2024, increased by 24%, and according to President Mnangagwa, this represents the fastest irrigation development phase since independence in 1980, and further gives a synopsis of the immense potential of what is possible with additional investments.
“To date, my Administration has rolled out the Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Agenda. Our paradigm has shifted through the deliberate expansion of our water harvesting and irrigation development programmes. This has seen the prioritisation of extensive dam construction, both in pace and scale, with corresponding development nodes which include power generation, fisheries, water and sanitation, to complement agriculture activity.
“High-impact dams have been constructed across our country, such as Marovanyati, Muchekeranwa, Chivhu, Gwayi-Shangani, Kunzvi, Tuli-Manyange, Dande and Ziminya Dams as well as Tugwi-Mukosi Dam. Modern conveyancing and irrigation development around these facilities has the potential to realise multi-pronged benefits in terms of our national total area of irrigable land, food security, agro-based industries and other ripple effects to the broader economy,” the President said.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Jongwe Masuka said one of the lessons from the worst drought in 43 years was that Zimbabwe should delink, for food security and food sovereignty, rainfall and food production.
“Agricultural development causes industrialisation. Industrialisation causes economic development which in turn causes, facilitates and catalyses the attainment of Vision 2030. Which is why we often talk about the strong “agricultural development-rural industrialisation-economic development-Vision 2030 nexus,” Dr Masuka said.
The conference was styled to produce actionable results to accelerate climate-proofing
of the agricultural sector from household to national level.
“Therefore, there will be deals signed, and there will be practical engagements by investors, in four dedicated deal rooms focussing on (1) the dam as an economy (2) ensuring that all irrigable land is brought into production (3) village, school, youth, smallholder irrigation business units investment case for rural development and (4) your signature Vision 2030 Incubator and Accelerator Model to leave no one and accommodate all Zimbabweans so they all benefit from the success of the land reform programme without necessarily farming themselves through a corporate farming model.”
Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the conference was a useful platform to foster dialogue and networking on devising the best ways to enhance irrigation development in Zimbabwe.
“My Ministry continues to support projects and programmes aimed at enhancing the growth of the irrigation sector which is one of key measures towards drought proofing agriculture and guaranteeing food security at both household and national level.
He said resources amounting to ZiG88.4 million in 2024 have been budgeted under the irrigation sector targeting mainly the following key areas: –
- Irrigation rehabilitation
- Development of irrigation infrastructure; and
- Maintenance of communal irrigation schemes.
“Support is also being channelled towards Farm Mechanization facilities such as the Belarus facility which plays a pivotal role towards capacitating irrigation schemes with appropriate technologies nationwide.
“In addition, support towards the Presidential borehole drilling programme has promoted the development of nutrition gardens at village level,” Minister Ncube said.
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