WITH climate change challenges showing no signs of abating, the Government is targeting to put 50 000 hectares under irrigation at schools, villages and youth centres.
The move will see the programme being rolled out in some of the country’s 35 000 villages, 9 600 schools and 4 800 youth centres as a way of boost national food security.
The Government’s Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development plan (AIRD) will shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that these aspirations to achieve food security will transform into reality.
Writing recently on X (formerly Twitter), Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Professor Dr Obert Jiri said acceleration of irrigation rehabilitation and development was crucial to sustain production of crops, fisheries and livestock to meet local and export demands.
“As a primary measure towards irrigation development, we urge farmers with existing underground irrigation infrastructure to utilise the equipment promptly as a crucial step to bolster food security,” said Prof Dr Jiri.
He said it was critical for the country to invest in the construction of many water reservoirs such as dams and weirs to ensure water for irrigation is readily accessible.
As part of efforts to climate-proof and enhance agricultural production on the backdrop of the climate change menace, Prof Jiri added that the Government was doing everything to bolster irrigation support for smallholder farmers.
Hastening the completion of irrigation projects, especially in the drier regions of the country, remains a priority.
The Government launched the AIRD plan in 2021 and adopted a new-project model, where dam construction should be accompanied by irrigation, domestic water supply, fisheries and electricity development.
The Government is targeting to increase area under irrigation from 173 500 in 2020 to 350 000 hectares by 2025.
In addition to pushing irrigation development, the Government is spearheading the construction of 12 high impact dams aimed at modernising the agriculture sector through establishing a modern, sustainable and climate smart agriculture sector.
The Irrigation Development Alliance was established to consolidate public and private sector efforts to accelerate irrigation development. In the context of commercialisation of smallholder irrigation structures, 304 schemes on 19 000 hectares out of 460 on 26 000 had been commercialised by December 2022.
Climate change is worsening and intensifying water-related disasters, creating complex challenges and threatening lives and livelihoods, particularly for vulnerable farmers.
The development of viable small-scale irrigation systems is critical to increasing productivity, sustaining livelihoods, creating jobs and wealth as well as improving incomes at household levels.
Improving agriculture and enhancing productivity through smallholder irrigation is a key strategy in eradicating poverty and improving livelihoods of rural communities.
Irrigation, therefore mitigates against droughts and mid-season dry spells and enables farmers to grow crops throughout the year, as they intensify production.