Staff Writer
The Ministry of Agriculture says the commissioning of the 30-hectare Wanezi Irrigation Scheme in Insiza District marks a major milestone in government’s drive to climate-proof agriculture.
This comes as the government is targeting to increase the area under irrigation from 175 000 hectares in 2020 to 496 000 hectares by 2030.
Speaking at the commissioning event, the Minister of Agriculture, Anxious Masuka, said accelerated irrigation development is central to climate-proofing agriculture and driving rural transformation under Vision 2030.
“The project is part of the government’s broader strategy to climate-proof agriculture and ensure that no community is left behind. Climate change is real and Zimbabwe is predicted to become drier in the decades ahead, but we must continue to produce food,” Masuka said.
The Wanezi project comprises a 30-hectare solar-powered irrigation scheme, a solarised piped water system, a water treatment plant and an automated weather station that supports climate-smart agriculture and early warning systems.
He underscored the importance of agroecological tailoring, urging farmers in drier regions to align production with local climatic realities by prioritising traditional grains and irrigated agriculture.
The Minister noted that the government’s response to climate change is anchored on promoting climate-smart agriculture through the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme and accelerating dam construction and irrigation development.
“We climate-proof agriculture through two ways. The first is adopting sustainable intensive conservation agriculture, Pfumvudza/Intwasa, which is a modern scientific method of precision farming. The second is accelerated dam construction, utilisation of the dams and accelerated irrigation development,” he said.
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