BY SAMUEL NJINGA IN CHIVI RECENTLY
The commissioning of the Gororo Irrigation Scheme in Chivi District marks a significant milestone in Zimbabwe’s drive towards climate-resilient, commercially oriented rural agriculture, with the 50-hectare project emerging as a model for inclusive development, food security and rural industrialisation.
Officially commissioned recently by the Minister of State and Devolution Affairs for Masvingo Province, Ezra Chadzamira, the scheme draws water from Tugwi Mukosi Dam and utilises a drag-hose sprinkler irrigation system powered largely by renewable solar energy. The project was implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UK International Development, underscoring the growing role of development partners in supporting sustainable agricultural transformation.
What sets Gororo apart from many irrigation initiatives is its community-centred design. Unlike traditional schemes that often require relocation of households, Gororo was deliberately structured to bring irrigation blocks directly to villagers’ homesteads. As a result, no households were displaced during its establishment — a factor Chadzamira described as making the scheme “unique and people-centred”.
“This irrigation scheme will go a long way in creating employment opportunities, eradicating hunger and generating much-needed foreign currency,” Chadzamira said at the commissioning ceremony. “It is proof that development can happen without dislocating communities.”
The scheme is designed to enhance food security, climate adaptation and renewable energy access, while promoting commercial agriculture at grassroots level. It operates as a fully registered business co-operative, guided by a structured business plan and overseen by an active Irrigation Management Committee, a governance framework increasingly seen as critical for the sustainability of irrigation projects.
Financial sustainability has also been prioritised. Beneficiaries have undergone financial literacy training in partnership with financial institutions, strengthening their capacity to manage loans, savings and agribusiness operations. The Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) has availed a US$4 500 loan facility, while Virl Microfinance provided a US$23 100 loan towards the acquisition of a tractor, enhancing mechanisation and productivity.
In addition, the scheme has secured irrigation infrastructure insurance through CBZ Insurance, covering critical assets such as pumps and solar equipment — a rare but important risk mitigation measure for rural irrigation projects.
Market access, often a weak link in smallholder farming, has been addressed through an export crop production and offtake agreement signed with Whitney Paprika. This arrangement provides assured markets for chilli production and positions the scheme to earn foreign currency, aligning with national export-led growth priorities.
The key beneficiaries include 72 households, 440 members of Village Savings and Lending Groups, and hundreds of community members who have received skills training. A total of 252 people — 209 women and 43 men — were trained in business and entrepreneurship, while 113 youths benefited from vocational skills training, highlighting the project’s strong gender and youth inclusion focus.
Crop production at Gororo is diversified to spread risk and ensure year-round activity. The scheme has so far produced maize on 7.5 hectares, sugar beans on 10 hectares, wheat on 10 hectares, green mealies on 10 hectares, Michigan pea on 10 hectares and chilli on 3 hectares. This mix balances food security crops with high-value commercial and export-oriented produce.
Speaking at the same event, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, said Gororo exemplifies the practical implementation of the government’s Rural Development 8.0 programming under the Presidential Rural Development Programme.
“What we are seeing here is one of the components of the Presidential Rural Development Programme, which establishes irrigation systems across the country,” Jiri said. “Once you water, livelihoods can be transformed and rural development can now happen.”
He emphasised that solar-powered irrigation offers a cheaper and more sustainable pathway to rural development and industrialisation, particularly in the context of climate change and rising energy costs.
“The basic concept of Village Business Units is that irrigation can be done at a small, manageable scale,” Jiri said. “It is cheaper, easier to manage, and uplifts rural livelihoods in the same way that larger schemes do.”
With its integration of renewable energy, sound governance, financial inclusion, market linkages and climate-smart practices, the Gororo Irrigation Scheme stands as a compelling example of how rural communities can be transformed into viable agribusiness hubs and a blueprint for future irrigation development across the country.