Background
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Government of Zimbabwe and OFID are financing the Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Programme (SIRP). The aim of the programme is to achieve food and nutrition security, and ensure that smallholder communities are resilient to climate change effects and economic shocks by enhancing households’ production, productivity and income levels as well as improving access to agricultural markets and financial services. To achieve this SIRP focuses on:
- rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure;
- promotion of improved small holder irrigation management;
- promotion of good agricultural practices;
- improved market access and rural financial services and
- enhanced capacity for irrigation development and market-led production.
SIRP will revitalize about 6,100 ha of existing smallholder irrigation schemes in Natural Regions III, IV and V of Manicaland, Masvingo, Matabeleland South, and Midlands provinces. An estimated 15,000 food insecure households (75,000 individuals), that are engaging in irrigated agriculture and 12,500 households farming under rain fed conditions in areas surrounding target irrigation schemes, will directly benefit from SIRP’s interventions. The programme is also targeting 2,000 youths involved with production, aggregation, marketing, service provision and small to medium scale businesses along the irrigation value chain, for skills development. Additionally, the programme will capacitate 500 extension and technical personnel to improve their capacity for more responsive, effective and efficient service delivery.
