Lindi — Plans are underway to set up irrigation schemes in every district countrywide to boost irrigation farming and avoid hunger, the Deputy Minister for Water and Irrigation Isack Kamwelwe said here yesterday.

 

The deputy minister was speaking after visiting several pavilions at Nanenane grounds at Ngongo grounds in Lindi municipality. He said the country has 29 million hectares, which are suitable for irrigation farming but only 460,000, which is equivalent to 1.6 per cent is being used for irrigation farming.

 

"We are not doing well on irrigation farming, the government is setting plans to boost the sector and soon each district will get its own scheme to boost the practice," he said. According to Mr Kamwele, irrigation farming in the country accounts for at least 20 per cent of food production, annually.

 

He said the construction of irrigation scheme in each district will lead to 100 per cent production of food and that at least 2 million hectares of land will be used for irrigation farming, with the 27 million hectares left for forests, animal grazing and environmental preservation.

 

"It is a shame for the country like Tanzania to face hunger, we have everything that can enable us to produce enough food for our consumption, business and surplus, the government is going to build irrigation schemes along with ponds for preserving water in every district," said Mr Kamwele.

 

Source : allafrica.com