THE Japanese embassy in Zimbabwe has funded an irrigation project in Lower Gweru to the tune of $113 000 to benefit about 2 000 households in the area.
STEPHEN CHADENGA OWN CORRESPONDENT
The embassy acquired treadle pumps with back-up spares as well as disbursing sweet potato cuttings for planting. Farmers would also be trained in harvesting, storage and processing of the crop.
Speaking at the handover of the project, Japanese ambassador to Zimbabwe Yonezo Fukuda said the country needed to adopt new farming technologies to guarantee food security in the face of recurrent droughts brought about by climate change.
“The new technology will result in improved nutritional status in the area as well as promoting food and household security,” Fukuda said.
He said the implementation of the project was in line with the country’s food and nutrition policy which focuses on national food security.
The scheme dubbed “The Project for the Improvement of Farming Skills” has 200 garden co-operatives with 10 members each in the seven wards of Lower Gweru.
Midlands Provincial Affairs minister Jason Machaya hailed the Japanese government for coming up with the project saying it was in line with ZimAsset.
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Experts believe that advanced irrigation provides the only way of boosting agricultural production in drought-prone parts of Africa.
