The Zimbabwean government is announcing an irrigation program for small-scale farmers across Zimbabwe. The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) will implement the program, which will rehabilitate 450 irrigation systems.
The irrigation program to revitalize 60 small-scale irrigation schemes will be launched in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean government announced the program on February 17, 2022. The work will be carried out by the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA).
According to the authorities of this East African country, the objective is to transform the activity of small farmers through more sustainable irrigation systems, in a context marked by drought.
Irrigating 6,100 hectares of farmland
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in 2019, drought affected the food security and livelihoods of 45 percent of Zimbabwe’s rural population. The situation could worsen in the coming years with the changing rhythm of the seasons accentuated by climate disruption.
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The program will upgrade 450 irrigation systems to improve agricultural yields throughout the country. The renovated facilities will allow the restoration of 60 small agricultural perimeters, a total area of 6,100 hectares. “We now need to provide the necessary expertise and mobilize funds to implement the program,” says Simba Mupodyi, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Lands. The work will be carried out as part of the Zimbabwean government’s horticultural growth and recovery plan.
This plan aims to irrigate 350,000 hectares of land in Zimbabwe by 2025. Currently, the East African country has barely 250,000 hectares of irrigated land.