• The Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Programme (SIRP) held its bi-annual review and planning meeting in Masvingo province in June. The learning event, brought together officials from SIRP, departments in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, SIRP provincial facilitators, component focals persons and project engineers.

The first day saw the delegation visiting Gudo Irrigation Scheme, whose rehabilitation is complete. The scheme, which now has a manager from the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA), is practising block irrigation with the first crop already having an off-taker. The group also visited a Natural Resources High Impact Project in Muteyo where farmers are running a cattle breeding and fattening project. The group concluded the tour by visiting the 360 hectare Tshovani Irrigation Project which is under rehabilitation and is nearing completion.

The field tour was followed by presentations from the two components , irrigation rehabilitation and the second component which covers training, promotion of nutrition, environmental protection, gender, social inclusion and value addition. Notable areas of learning as noted by the delegation included the importance of prioritising environmental issues in the development of irrigation schemes, the adoption of the block irrigation system in cropping with emphasis being made on timely pest control in crop and livestock production and  the importance of farmer capacitation and livestock adaptability in procurement