DDF revamps 11 000ha irrigation schemes

GOVERNMENT, through the Department of Irrigation Development, has rehabilitated more than 11 000 hectares and developed 750 hectares of irrigation schemes to boost agricultural production and productivity to ensure household and national food security.

The department had targeted to rehabilitate 10 000 hectares during the 2018-2019 season, implying that it has surpassed the target.

In an interview, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement deputy director for irrigation development, Engineer Bezzel Chitsungo, said the department was working towards rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure using the target under the Public Service Investment Programme (PSIP), to increase areas under irrigation from the estimated 170 000ha that are functional nationally to at least 300 000ha.

He said this would enable farmers to produce crops throughout the year and even during dry periods.

“This is also delving into Vision 2030. Recently we have been working on various facilities that are complementary in pursuance of that objective,” he said.

“One of our achievements for 2018/2019 (is that) we witnessed the installation of at least 80 centre pivots under the Pedstock facility. That facility had an overall target of developing 3 200 hectares and those have been fully restored except for one or two that may be having technical issues, but our records indicate that we have achieved close to 100 percent of that target.

“Under the Command Agriculture framework, we had a facility with Maka Resources under Sakunda financing where we rehabilitated about 8 000ha.”

Eng Chitsungo said the programme was targeted at A2 farmers from all the country’s 10 provinces. The exercise is under Sakunda financing. The majority of beneficiaries were from Mashonaland, Midlands, Masvingo and Manicaland provinces while a few came from Matabeleland provinces.

Said Eng Chitsungo: “The rehabilitation had a mixture in terms of technology they brought in a lot of pumps, pipelines were installed together with infield equipment in form of aluminium pipes under the sprinkler system of irrigation and they also managed to rehabilitate few centre pivots and develop new systems for farmers under the US$18 million dollar facility.