Debra Matabvu
Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has unveiled a comprehensive national irrigation plan aimed at placing 350 000 hectares of summer crops under irrigation by next year, a move designed to secure national food self-sufficiency.
The strategy will leverage nine major dams nationwide, around which irrigation greenbelts will be established to support year-round agricultural production.
Under the master plan, Masvingo Province will anchor the bulk of the irrigation development and is poised to emerge as a major agricultural and agro-industrial hub with an estimated 200 000 hectares set to be irrigated using water from the Tugwi-Mukosi Dam.
The greenbelt will stretch from Rutenga to Chiredzi, with Nuanetsi Ranch serving as the nucleus of agricultural and industrial development.
Presently, 223 000 hectares of summer crops are under irrigation countrywide.
Under the Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Plan, which began in 2021, Government targets to put 496 000 hectares of land under irrigation by 2030, including 350 000 hectares dedicated to summer cereal production.
The country requires at least 350 000 hectares of irrigated land to produce an additional 1,8 million tonnes of maize annually — sufficient to meet domestic demand and create a surplus for export.
Winter cropping will also be supported under the initiative.
According to the National Development Strategy (NDS) 2, transforming the agricultural sector will enhance productivity by climate-proofing farming systems through expanded irrigation around abundant water bodies, thereby anchoring the development of greenbelts.
“To ensure food self-sufficiency, NDS 2 targets placing 350 000 hectares of land under irrigation by 2026 countrywide,” the document reads in part.
“In the Lowveld, NDS 2 interventions will see transformation of Masvingo Province into an agricultural and agro-industrial powerhouse, with a vast greenbelt irrigated by Tugwi-Mukosi Dam.
“The Integrated Lowveld Irrigation Development Masterplan targets development of a 200 000-hectare green corridor to spur large scale food production, agro-processing and rural industrialisation across the southern lowveld.”
Under the Master Plan, Government will partner private investors to fully utilise Tugwi-Mukosi water to create a green zone stretching from Rutenga in the west to Chiredzi in the east, with Nuanetsi Ranch serving as the nucleolus of development.
Already, at Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi, more than 2 000 hectares have been cleared by seven private investors who are establishing sugarcane, citrus and lucerne plantations, added the NDS 2.
An additional 10 000 hectares of irrigation greenbelt will be established in Makoni District, Manicaland Province, drawing water from Osborne Dam, while Muchekeranwa Dam, located on the border between Manicaland and Mashonaland East provinces, will support about 5 000 hectares.
Government will also develop irrigation greenbelts around Lake Gwayi-Shangani, where 10 000 hectares will be brought under irrigation.
Tuli-Manyange Dam in Gwanda District will anchor initiatives to irrigate over 2 000 hectares of land to create an integrated greenbelt for the production of maize, wheat, sorghum, horticultural crops, citrus and fodder, complementing ongoing livestock programmes in Matabeleland South Province.
“The provision of a reliable source of raw water for year-round agricultural production, essential in light of the region’s climate challenges, will boost food security and transform livelihoods across the Province,” reads the NDS 2 document.
Zhovhe dam, located on a high elevation in Matabeleland South Province, will allow for water to be supplied for irrigation through gravity, reducing the need for extensive pumping.
“This will support irrigation of a 2 500-hectare green belt in Beitbridge District, with the water conveyed through a 63-kilometre canal from the dam to the greenbelt.
“The greenbelt around Zhovhe dam will support a large-scale citrus project, as well as benefit surrounding communities and contribute to employment creation and enhanced food security.
“Crops targeted for production include citrus, horticultural produce and fodder, along-side fisheries and aquaculture,” adds the NDS document.
In addition, Vungu Dam in Midlands Province will irrigate approximately 1 200 hectares, while Bindura Dam in Mashonaland Central Province will support up to 7 000 hectares.
Other key projects include Semwa Dam in Mashonaland Central Province and Silverstroom Dam in Matabeleland North Province, which will further expand the national irrigation footprint.
“A greenbelt will be established around Osborne Dam in Makoni District, Manicaland Province, covering approximately 10 000 hectares,” the document added.
“The project will support both smallholder irrigation schemes and commercial farming blocks, benefitting communities in Mutasa, Makoni and Mutare Districts, transforming a previously idle water body.
“The Muchekeranwa Dam, located on the border of Makoni and Marondera Districts, straddling Manicaland and Mashonaland East Provinces about 50km from Marondera town, will support a 5 000-hectare greenbelt, benefiting communities in Marondera, Wedza and Makoni.
“Furthermore, greenbelts will be developed around the following water bodies once construction is completed: Gwayi-Shangani Dam.
“The completion of Gwayi-Shangani dam during NDS2 will allow for the transformation of 10 000 hectares of irrigable land into a green agricultural belt through construction of a 256 km pipeline and pump stations to convey water from the dam to Bulawayo, supplying irrigation water to communities along the route.
“This will target the production of maize, horticultural crops, fodder and fruit, that way contributing to enhancing food security and generation of employment opportunities.”
In Matabeleland North, the Silverstroom Dam will cover roughly 3 000 hectares for both smallholder and commercial farmers, while Dande Dam will irrigate about 4 000 hectares in Mbire and Muzarabani.
Together, these projects aim to improve food security, stimulate rural value chains, and drive a shift toward climate-resilient, irrigation-based agriculture.
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