Irrigation Key to Masvingo’s Rise as Cereal Hub – PS Jiri

By Itai Mazire

Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri, has called for a robust and well-coordinated irrigation investment plan across Masvingo Province, saying the region is poised to become Zimbabwe’s future cereal-production powerhouse if its vast water resources are fully utilised.

Speaking during an assessment of the summer cropping season at Mr Philmon Mutangiri’s Riverton Farm where 200 hectares of maize are expected to yield 10 tonnes per hectare Professor Jiri said Masvingo’s agricultural potential extends far beyond its traditional focus on small grains.

“Masvingo has 52 percent of the nation’s water, and that water must be converted into production.

“If we can fully put this water to agricultural use, Masvingo should become the hub of our national food security,” said Prof Jiri.

He said irrigation development was no longer optional but a strategic necessity for both the province and the country.

“As we continue with our monitoring visits, we are seeing what different provinces are doing, and Masvingo clearly needs a proper irrigation investment plan that unlocks its full potential,” he said.

Professor Jiri added that increased production must be matched with value addition and the adoption of modern technologies if the province is to anchor national food security under Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS-2).

“We must not allow raw materials to leave the farm. Wheat must leave the farm as flour or bread, maize as mealie meal, and meat and milk as processed products such as cheese or yoghurt. That is the transformation we want,” he said.

He also urged farmers to modernise and abandon outdated tools and production methods.

“Gone are the days when farmers relied on handheld tools. They must embrace mechanisation so that production becomes efficient, competitive and sustainable,” said Prof Jiri.

With expanded irrigation, increased mechanisation and value addition, Professor Jiri said Masvingo could rapidly emerge as Zimbabwe’s largest cereal-producing province, significantly strengthening the country’s food security agenda.