By Shadreck Gurenje
President Mnangagwa has said the Second Republic under the ongoing irreversible national thrust of being a nation capable of feeding itself irrigation development has become an invaluable tool in the fight against the adverse effects of climate change.
Speaking at the launch of the National Launch of the Production Booster Kit,ZANU PF First Secretary and President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa has said the Second Republic in its people centered development policies, leaves no one and no place behind to guarantee inclusion of A1 farmers that did not benefit from the various irrigation schemes throughout the country will announce the launch of the Productivity Booster Kit Programme.
The National Launch of the Production Booster Kit Programme marks yet another significant milestone in our country’s agricultural transformation agenda.
“The Second Republic, in its people centered development policies, leaves no one and no place behind. To guarantee inclusion of A1 farmers that did not benefit from the various irrigation schemes throughout the country, I am pleased to announce the launch of the Productivity Booster Kit Programme.
“10,000 A1 farmers will benefit under the first phase of this Programme. Through this initiative, each farmer is set to get a loan of US$6,000 for the purchase of Productivity Booster Kits to irrigate between 1 and 3 hectares. My Government plans to allocate US$1.98 billion over 10 years as a loan for the Productivity Booster Kit Programme. Additionally, five banks have committed to provide additional working capital.
“ The Productivity Booster Kits will also be made available to smallholder tobacco farmers, to localise the procurement of farming equipment and other aspects of the tobacco value chain. To support the Programme, Technical Service Centres will be established in each of the 10 provinces of our country to serve A1 farmers,”said President Mnangagwa.
President Mnangagwa also said at the national level government is climate proofing agriculture through extensive dam construction and a corresponding development of modern irrigation systems is being prioritised and scaled up.
“It is commendable that these practices have led to a threefold increase in the production and productivity of maize and sorghum, as well as improved household food security and incomes. At the national level, my Government is climate proofing agriculture through extensive dam construction.
“A corresponding development of modern irrigation systems is being prioritised and scaled up. Under our ongoing irreversible national thrust of being a nation capable of feeding itself, irrigation development has become an invaluable tool in our fight against the adverse effects of climate change. The devastating effects of the El Niño-induced drought during the 2023/2024 season, among other experiences, have shown us the urgent need to climate-proof agriculture. To this end, we have set for ourselves an ambitious and achievable target to develop 496,000 hectares of land under irrigation by 2030, with over 350,000 hectares under summer cereal production. I, therefore, applaud efforts by stakeholders in the agriculture sector for the milestones realised in irrigation development.
“ To date, the area under irrigation has increased from 175,000 hectares in 2019 to 222,000 4 fastest hectares in 2025. This represents a 27% increase, the irrigation Independence in 1980,”said President Mnangagwa.
The Second Republic Government under the able leadership of President Mnangagwa has implemented the “Agriculture, Food System and Rural Transformation Strategy: 2020-2025,” which focuses on climate-smart agriculture.