Irrigation goal missed for lack of funds

Dar es Salaam. Since 2006, Tanzania has aimed to expand its irrigated land to one million hectares by 2020, but as of February, 2019 the area under irrigation was only 475,052 hectares.

The National Irrigation Corporation (NIRC) has set new strategies to meet the target by 2035, according to its acting director general Marco Ndonde.

The low pace was mainly due to lack of funds, as shown by the commission’s report published at Ministry of Agriculture, showing the allocation and disbursement of development funds in consecutive five years (2014/15 to 2018/19).

“Only 9.8 per cent of the total allocated funds to irrigation development projects were released during the period of five years, with zero disbursement in some financial years,” statistics show.

During the period, a total of Sh38.6 billion was allocated to the commission, but only Sh3.78 billion was released.

The situation got worse in 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2018/19 financial years where Sh15 billion, Sh6 billion and Sh6 billion, respectively, but the commission did not received even a single sent.

In 2016/17, Sh6 billion was allocated but only Sh2.23 billion were released while in 2017/18 financial year Sh5 billion were allocated and Sh1.53 were disbursed.

The commission also got funds from foreign sources where the total of Sh130.02 billion was allocated in five years with only Sh24.62 billion being released until June 2019.

Further, the commission has no a board of directors to make decisions on time, suffering a shortage of 216 employees.

Other challenges including low participation of private sector in irrigation interventions, poor operational, management and maintenance of existing irrigation schemes, climate change effects and degradation of water sources and inadequate irrigation research and technology promotion.

Acting director general of NIRC Ndonde said the country has at least 29.4 Million hectors potential for irrigation but so far the irrigated land is only 475,052ha.

According to him, the commission (NIRC) sets strategies for attaining 1,000,000 ha of the irrigation agriculture by 2035 in two phases.

A total of 261 schemes will be rehabilitated in 25 regions of Tanzania Mainland, as well as the construction of 208 new schemes in the first phase.

“The end of phase one will add 302,120 ha of irrigated land to reach 763,120 ha by 2025,” he said.

He added that the second phase will see 643 new irrigation schemes are constructed, adding another 312,110ha to irrigation land in 2035.

In addition other 88 irrigation dams will be constructed in different parts of the country before 2035, according to him.

In attaining the target, the government decided to shift activities of the NIRC to the Ministry of Agriculture from the Ministry of Water.

At least Sh29.76 billion was allocated to the Commission where Sh25.82 billion was set for development activities.

The amount is bigger than Sh6 billion as allocated in 2018/19 financial year.

Mr Ndonde said the amount gives him energy to speed up the implementation of the previous unfinished projects including that of Small Scale Irrigation Development Project (SSIDP) whose 16 schemes are currently under implementation in various regions.

So far, six of them are completed while other 10 schemes are at 54.2 per cent of completion, according to him.

The Commission is also implementing the Expanding Rice Production Project (ERPP) in Msolwa ujamaa and Njage (in Kilombero DC), Kigugu (Mvomero DC) and Mvumi and Kilangali seed farm (Kilosa DC).

Currently, irrigation sub contribute 24 per cent of the national food requirement in the country with 475,052 under irrigation agriculture.