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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
THE Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has partnered with the Government to capacitate communal farmers in Beitbridge to develop solar-powered boreholes, embrace water harvesting and drip irrigation methods as part of climate adaptation strategies.
The intervention is being done through the Enhanced Resilience for Vulnerable Households in Zimbabwe (ERVHIZ) project, which seeks to help rural households in the country to become more resilient to climate change and food crises.
Drip irrigation is a type of micro-irrigation system that has the potential to save water and nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either from above or below the soil surface.
Under this type of irrigation method, water is placed directly into the root zone of the plant to minimise evaporation.
In previous years, farmers relied on electricity from the national grid or diesel pumps to power irrigation projects and canals, sprinklers, or flood irrigation to water crops.
However, many have seen the need to migrate to solar-powered irrigation projects, which are seamless to set up and are durable. The costs of the material may vary based on brand and quality or equipment and source.
In an interview, Beitbridge Agricultural Extension Services officer, Mr Masauso Mawocha, said the FAO project had added at least 98 more hectares of productive land in the district’s crop production sector.
“The project has seen a total of 98ha being introduced under drip irrigation, and this is splendid in the face of climate change. There is every reason to rejoice on the project,” said Mr Mawocha.
“So far, at Mtetengwe Irrigation in Ward 7, we have put 22ha under a drip irrigation system, 3 843,5m fencing has been installed and we sited five boreholes.
“At Aluwani Irrigation in Ward 5 we covered 10ha under drip irrigation system, 1 500m fence installed, while at Jalukange Irrigation Scheme 20ha are now under the drip Irrigation system and borehole drilling is in progress.”
He said at Ndambe Phase 2 Irrigation Scheme they had set up a drip irrigation system covering 18ha with trenching in progress for conveyance pipe line.
At Bili Irrigation Scheme, he said, an additional 15ha has also been put under the drip irrigation system while the site handover is pending, and that they had completed 13ha at Sivule Irrigation Scheme where the site handover has been done.
According to agriculture experts, Beitbridge requires an average of 400mm of rain water for a successful farming season.
Former Beitbridge Rural District Council (BBRDC) chief executive officer, Mr Peter Moyo, said recently that they were upgrading boreholes from the use of manual pumps so that they are powered by solar.
“As part of our call to action plan, we want to address water supply issues in the district, and the council has set a target to have at least 240 community boreholes by the year 2028,” said Mr Moyo.
“In addition, we are introducing piped water schemes to bring potable water closer or at central points near households and rural service centres.
“The modernisation of boreholes will also ensure that communities venture into small horticulture projects that may improve their incomes at the household level.”
He said there were close to 480 registered community boreholes in rural Beitbridge and that they were targeting to upgrade them from the use of old pumps and power them with solar to increase accessibility of water and productivity in small horticulture projects.
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