Government walks the talk on food security
Food security and nutrition remain at the core of Government’s initiatives under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and the Treasury made allocations for rural and smallholder farmer irrigation schemes.
It is the Government’s target that food security begins at the household level in order to improve the diet of citizens and also eradicate food shortages.
As a result, interventions towards food security have mainly been done through the National Accelerated Irrigation Development and Rehabilitation Programme which is targeting irrigation rehabilitation and development, maintenance of communal irrigation schemes and capacitation of A2 farmers.
In support of the irrigation intervention, Treasury disbursed $3,5 billion between January to September 2022 targeting various schemes.
In his 2022 infrastructure report, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said, “Development of 21 Irrigation projects through the Turnkey Phase 1 programme wherein to date 16 projects covering 1 005ha out of the target of 1 592 ha have been completed and construction works are ongoing on 5 projects covering 432ha.”
The minister said during the same period, Turnkey Phase 2 which is targeting 5 415ha of land on 32 projects saw 3 projects covering 350ha being completed whilst works are in progress on 4 projects covering 552ha.
Pedstock Center Pivot Facility where a total of 61 pivots have been delivered out of a target of 80 has seen a total of 52 pivots installed with 47 of them now irrigating a combined area of 2 020ha out of the targeted 2 900ha.
Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Program (SIRP) being co-funded by the Government of Zimbabwe and IFAD has seen 2 800ha now being irrigated out of the targeted 6 100ha.
“Completion of feasibility studies and detailed designs for 10 out of 21 projects under the Green Climate Fund was done in September and implementation of the projects is expected to commence in 2023,” Prof Ncube said.
In 2023, resources amounting to US$20 million will be availed from the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) in support of works at various irrigation schemes in addition to other budgetary disbursements.
Agricultural economist Anderson Magura said, “The good thing is that Government recognises that food and nutrition security is not only a national but global issue that requires international cooperation and multi-sectoral interventions and coordination at the highest level.
“This is why we are happy to see it partnering with different partners such as IFAD, FAO, among others in availing irrigation schemes. This will make it possible for the country to be food secure as households will drive production like back in the 70s and 80s.”
Another agriculture expert Tapiwa Mpemba said, “The recently pronounced budget highlighted the support for the establishment of productive economic activities around water sources by rural communities through village gardens, a source of nutrition and commerce, in the context of the new Rural Development 8.0 paradigm. Treasury should continue to support these initiatives as they are a source of development.”
Experts say this shows that Government is willing to meet the Malabo Declaration which speaks to ending hunger by 2025, ending and bringing down child stunting to 10 percent and underweight to five percent by 2025.-ebusinessweekly
