Pride Mahlangu, Business Reporter

THE Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union (ZFU) says there is urgent need for investment in irrigation as a long-term measure to alleviate the adverse effects of drought that continue to haunt Southern Africa.

Zimbabwe is one of the countries in the region that has over the years experienced successive drought years that have adversely impacted on economic growth.

In an interview yesterday, ZFU president Mr Abdul Nyathi said it was imperative for the country to urgently invest massively in irrigation to sustain the agricultural sector which is being negatively affected by droughts.

“The long-term solution to sustainable agriculture is that we harness water for irrigation by constructing dams” he said.

Mr Nyathi said dryland cultivation was no longer reliable hence the need to grow crops under irrigation.

This season is proving to be the worst in years as many areas have not received adequate rains in the first half to enable them to plant.

The crops in almost all areas are wilting as a result of the prolonged dry spell.

“Farmers depending on dryland cultivation are not expecting to harvest anything this season. It is only farmers that are irrigating their crops who might harvest something,” said Mr Nyathi.

He said the only challenge farmers cultivating crops under irrigation are facing was power cuts as a result of load shedding.

“We have approached the end of the first half of the season and there are no signs it might rain soon,” said Mr Nyathi.

He said what the farmers were now crying for was water for livestock as hopes for planting were fast fading away.

“We are hopeful it might rain soon so that we have pastures and  water for our livestock,” said Mr Nyathi. — @pridesinstinctz.