Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Program

Participatory Rapid Appraisal for

Exchange Irrigation Project

Midlands Province

Zimbabwe

16-20 October 2017

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Table of Contents

Appendices ...... 4 Abbreviations and Acronyms ...... 5 Map of the project area ...... 6 1. Introduction and Objectives ...... 7 1.1 Objectives of the PPA: ...... 7 2. Methodology ...... 7 2.1 Focus Group Discussion (FGD) ...... 7 2.2 Interviews ...... 8 2.3 Telephone Interviews ...... 9 2.4 Observations ...... 9 3. Background of Exchange Irrigation Scheme ...... 9 3.1 Water Source ...... 10 3.2 Plot Sizes ...... 10 3.3 Objectives of Scheme Establishment ...... 10 3.4 Management of the Scheme ...... 11 3.5 Effectiveness of the IMC ...... 112 4. Crop and Livestock Production ...... 11 4.1 Irrigated crop production ...... 11 4.2 Crop production under rainfed conditions ...... 13 4.3 Livestock ...... 13 4.4 Input Supply ...... 14 4.5.1 Recommendations ...... 14 4.6 GAPs for irrigation farmers ...... 14 5. Marketing ...... 16 5.1 Marketing for Irrigators ...... 16 5.2 Input marketing ...... 16 5.3 Challenges faced in accessing inputs ...... 178 6. Water Issues ...... 181 6.1 Exchange Dam Water Utilisation ...... 19 6.2 Exchange Dam Management: ...... 19

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6.3 Water Measurement ...... 202 6.4 Recommendations ...... 20 7. Irrigation Infrastructure ...... 213 7.1 Pumping Station ...... 213 7.2 Conveyance Pipeline ...... 213 7.3 Night Storage Dams ...... 21 7.4 Distribution Canals (Main, Secondary and Infield Canals) ...... 22 7.5 Boundary Fence ...... 24 7.6 Siphons ...... 24 7.7 Scheme Hall ...... 24 7.8 Extension workers houses ...... 25 7.9 Access Roads and Drains ...... 25 8. Irrigation Scheme Management Operation and Maintenance ...... 268 8.1 Scheme Management: ...... 268 8.2 Operation and Maintenance (O&M) ...... 268 9. Gender ...... 279 9.1 Segregation of Duties by Sex in Irrigated and Dry land Farming ...... 279 9.2 Plot ownership ...... 30 9.3 Livestock ownership ...... 29 10. Natural Resources Management and Environment and Health ...... 30 10.1 Environmental challenges ...... 30 10.2 Environmental challenges in water source catchment ...... 30 10.3 Water harvesting ...... 31 10.4 Micro-catchment protection plans ...... 31 10.5 Mechanical conservation works ...... 31 10.6 Recommendations ...... 32 11. Institutional Support and other developmental programmes ...... 33 12.1 Major Stakeholder Roles and Responsibilities at Exchange Irrigation ...... 33 12.2 Other development projects operating in the area...... 34 12. Recommendations ...... 35 12.1 Crop Production ...... 35 12.2 Marketing ...... 35 12.3 Irrigation Scheme Management...... 35 12.4 Operation and Maintenance ...... 36 3

12.5 Irrigation Water Management...... 36 12.6 Irrigation infrastructure ...... 36 Appendices

1. Register for irrigation farmers 2. Register for dryland farmers 3. Register for local leadership and IMC 4. Register for Agritex extension workers 5. Register for DA and Zibagwe RDC 6. Field layout for Exchange Irrigation scheme

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Abbreviations and Acronyms

AGRITEX Agricultural, Technical and Extension Service DA District Administrator DDF District Development Fund DoI Department of Irrigation FFS Farmer Field School GAP Good Agricultural Practice GMB Grain Marketing Board IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development IMC Irrigation Management Committee

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Map of the project area

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1. Introduction and Objectives

The Smallholder Irrigation Revitalisation Programme (SIRP) funded the Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) for Exchange Irrigation project. This project is one of the low hanging fruit projects for SIRP, and the project marks the beginning of a seven years program in Midlands, .

A multi-disciplinary team comprising of an Agribusiness Specialist, Agronomist, Irrigation Engineer, Irrigation Technician and the Provincial Facilitator spent one week on exchange project from