Story by BLESSED NYASHADZASHE JURA
Building on the foundation laid in 2021, the Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Plan has made significant strides under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s visionary leadership. The 22nd Post Cabinet Brief in the capital yesterday provided a comprehensive update on the initiative’s progress, highlighting its objectives, achievements, and innovative strategies for ensuring a sustainable food future. Three years on, the focus remains on expanding irrigation capacity, boosting crop yields, and driving rural modernization and industrialization to guarantee national food security. In 2021, the Government approved a plan to improve irrigation systems, aiming to irrigate 350,000 hectares of land by 2025, produce 1.8 million tons of cereals per year, and feed the population with a target of 120 kg per person per year (current consumption is 92 kg). From 1980 to 2019, irrigated land increased by only 13%, but from 2019 to 2024, it increased by 28% – the fastest rate since independence. The average annual increase in irrigable land has jumped from 487 hectares to 9,600 hectares. Zimbabwe has over 10.6 billion cubic meters of water in 10,600 dams. This can irrigate 2.2 million hectares, supporting the goal of 496,000 hectares by 2030. Four models will help achieve the irrigation goals: developing irrigation where infrastructure exists, building irrigation systems around dams, corporate irrigation development, and smallholder irrigation development. An Irrigation Investment Conference held on July 5, 2024, saw companies showing interest in participating in irrigation expansion, with deals worth $226 million being signed. With the Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Plan, Zimbabwe is poised to make a significant leap towards food security, climate resilience, and sustainable development, cementing President Mnangagwa’s legacy as a champion of progress.
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