Minister of state for Masvingo province Ezra Chadzamira says Masvingo province is scheduled to utilise more than 70 000 hectares of land on projects that are scheduled to be done through the initiative of the National Development Strategy 1 programme by 2025. He also said the construction of the Tende Runde dam will help export water to South Africa. Chadzamira told journalists soon after the two days ZANU PF Bindura conference that was virtually attended by hundreds of ZANU PF supporters at Great Zimbabwe University that these projects will go a long way in agricultural output sustenance in the province and the nation in particular.
“The Tende Runde dam construction is set to be the biggest inland dam in the country. We expect to harvest a lot of water that will be exported to South Africa. The Mushandike Muzhwi canal will see us getting an additional 3 500 hectares of land while upper Mutirikwi irrigation scheme is set to utilise 2 000 hectares of land. The period 2021 to 2025 should see Masvingo province coming up with many more projects sitting on more than 70 000 hectares of land.” said Chadzamira.
Smallholder farmers across Zimbabwe have been facing a problem of food insecurity because of climate-induced droughts and lack of effective use of irrigation schemes. Rainfall patterns in the province have become more unpredictable and inconsistent with the traditional farming seasons. Irrigation schemes are therefore perceived as the ultimate answer to some of the problems that farmers are going through.
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