By Virginia Njovo
Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Professor Obert Jiri, has called on Zimbabwean farmers to embrace climate-resilient agriculture to ensure food security amid changing climate patterns.
Speaking during a tour of irrigation projects at Pikinini Jawanda in Mwenezi recently, Prof Jiri urged farmers to move away from traditional seasonal farming and adopt irrigation-based, year-round agricultural practices.
“I encourage all farmers in Zimbabwe to adopt climate-proof agriculture to mitigate the effects of drought, especially in semi-arid regions like Mwenezi. Farmers here traditionally rely on small grains, yet they have the opportunity to diversify using water from Manyuchi Dam, which has the capacity to irrigate up to 5 000 hectares,” said Prof Jiri.
To support long-term success, Prof Jiri called on all government departments to assist agricultural cooperatives from the provision of inputs to technical guidance and marketing support
“I urge all government entities to support farming cooperatives with inputs and training to ensure the sustainability of these projects for future generations,” said Jiri.
He also encouraged farmers to treat agriculture as a business and take full advantage of available support services such as Agritex officers.
“You must be self-motivated. This is a business, and with proper dedication, you can succeed. Use the resources and expertise around you,” he said.
Pikinini Jawanda Irrigation Scheme Chairperson Chizivano Shava thanked the government and its development partners for empowering local farmers through irrigation infrastructure.
“We are thankful that we can now use water from Manyuchi Dam. For years we watched production thrive at Mwenezana Estates because we had no capacity. Now we are fully equipped to run our own scheme and improve our livelihoods,” said Shava.
The 156ha Pikinini irrigation scheme has 300 plot holders of which 177 are males while 123 females. Currently the farmers planted beans and are preparing for winter wheat.
Climate-resilient agriculture also known as climate-proof farming involves adapting farming practices to withstand the effects of climate change. It includes growing drought tolerant crops, using environmentally sustainable methods, and improving soil health to boost productivity and resilience at household level.
The visit to Mwenezi was part of a broader tour by a delegation from the Government of Zimbabwe and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to assess Green Climate Fund (GCF)-supported irrigation projects in Masvingo Rural and Chivi Districts.
The projects fall under the ‘Building Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Livelihoods in Southern Zimbabwe’ programme and include Pikinini Jawanda and Chizumba in Mwenezi, Zvinyaningwe in Masvingo Rural, and Bwanya, Nyahwanda, and Bindamombe schemes in Chivi.
