By Agriculture Reporter
The Deputy Minister for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Vangelis Haritatos, has urged farmers to fully utilize land that has irrigation potential saying that this will ensure food security in the country.
Haritatos’ sentiments follow the recent gazetting of Statutory Instrument 38 of 2021 (SI 38 of 21),technically known as Irrigable Areas (Control) Regulations of 2021,which, among other things, gave birth to provincial and district irrigation engineers who will be responsible for planning, designing and overseeing the construction and maintenance of irrigation projects.
Speaking over the weekend, Haritatos said reliance on rain fed agriculture is no longer an option because of climate change.
“Fellow farmers, now is the time to make the difference. We need to be disciplined and take full advantage of this policy (SI 38 of 21). At the same time, let us not sit on land that has irrigation potential. Climate change is a threat to our security as a nation and has shown us that rain fed agriculture is no longer an option. Climate smart irrigation is our option out of food insecurity.
“Together we will make Zimbabwe food and nutrition secure as we strive to uplift the livelihoods of each and every Zimbabwean in our quest to fulfil Vision 2030,” said Haritatos.
The Deputy Minister added that among other things, the SI 38 of 2021 will ensure good administration and productive use of land and water available for irrigation.
Haritatos further said the SI has also given birth to the Irrigation Development Fund (IDF) which will be made available to all farmers who have the potential to irrigate.
“The administration of such an irrigation policy (SI 38 of 2021) can only be supported by a fund that is available to our farmers for irrigation development. This fund has to be transparent and accessible to all farmers who have the potential to irrigate, and therefore this SI further gives birth to the Irrigation Development Fund,” said Haritatos.
The new irrigation policy is expected to revamp the agriculture industry which is also the backbone of the country’s economy as the country thrives to attain an Upper Middle Class Income Economy status by year 2030.
