Drought relief and irrigation

Abstract

Agriculture is a dominant sector in Zimbabwe contributing 40% of exports, 50% of manufacturing and 70% of employment. The sector carries the heavy burden of food security. It is no wonder then that the performance of the Zimbabwean economy is directly related to the performance of the agricultural sector. This contribution is however compromised by the country's climate. Zimbabwe is situated in a zone of erratic rainfall with only 35% of the area receiving 700 mm annual rainfall that is adequate for intensive and semi- intensive farming. Rainfall is the main factor determining the suitability of land for agricultural production. Land suitable for intensive farming is situated in Natural Regions I and II, and to a lesser extent, in Natural Region III, regions which are endowed with good rainfall. Because of history, these well-endowed areas are mostly under the ownership of the White minority large scale farmers while the majority Black smallholder farmers are situated in the dry arid areas. Sixty percent of the smallholder farmers are situated in the semi-arid zones characterized by low agricultural production on account of the poor rains received there.