From George Maponga in Masvingo
Government has completed feasibility studies on more than 100 sites countrywide where new irrigation schemes will be developed this year as part of a new thrust to engender food self-sufficiency through irrigation development.

The sites are dotted around the country’s 59 districts where Government plans to develop nearly 12 000 hectares by the end of the year.

Tenders for contractors to develop the irrigation sites — especially after the completion of feasibility studies to determine the financial outlay and irrigation equipment required at each site — are currently being floated.

Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement Davis Marapira said Government has released the required funding for the project.

Development of the initial 32 irrigation sites, he said, was expected to start before the end of this month.

“Government has availed every cent required in the project though I cannot reveal the total cost of developing the 200ha in every district.

“All I can say is that Treasury has provided all the money required for the project, which seeks to make sure Zimbabwe is permanently food secure,’’ said Mr Marapira.

“Tenders for the initial 32 sites have already been floated and we expect contractors to be on the ground working by the end of this month.”

He also noted that the cost of developing each site varied from place to place.

“By July this year we hope that 64 irrigation sites will be under development countrywide, with the entire batch of 101 sites expected to be under development by year end.

“The cost of developing each site differs depending on the distance from the water body and the type of irrigation equipment at each site,” he said.

He said some districts will have more than one irrigation site.

“Our target is for every district to have 200ha under irrigation, but that depends on the availability of enough water, so we might have three or four sites where we develop irrigation schemes whose combined hectarage will add up to our target per district,” he said.

According to Deputy Minister Marapira, Government plans to develop 200ha per district every year as the country intensifies efforts to shift from rain-fed agriculture.

Zimbabwe has borne the brunt of recurrent droughts due to climate change over the past few years.