BY PRAISEMORE SITHOLE THE Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) has called on the country to maintain its dams and prioritise irrigation to reduce the impact of water shortages due to climate change effects.
Recently, ZCFU warned of poor harvests after revelations that incessant dry spells during the current summer season have rendered useless about 30% to 40% of crops across the country.
ZCFU president Shadreck Makombe yesterday said: “The (dry spells were) a wake-up call to all farmers that irrigation is the way to go, especially in this era of climate change. We, therefore, strongly advise farmers to maintain their dams and to drill boreholes at their farms because underground water is depleting, which means that farming activities will seriously be affected.
“The government must also conserve water at big dams which are said to be now 91% full. If water is conserved at dams, this would mitigate climate change effects.”
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