Shire Valley irrigation project targets crop production in Oct

People of Chikwawa and Nsanje districts continue to watch the progress on the temporary conveyance system under construction at Kapichira Water Intake on Shire River in Chikwawa to start growing crops under irrigation.

The conveyer system is part of broader construction works under the Shire Valley Transformation Programme underway in Chikwawa whose beneficiaries are expected to start growing crops in October.

Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development senior irrigation engineer Paul Mchikoma announced this on Saturday when he inspected the project in Chikwawa.

He said the system is currently at 80 percent and all logistical arrangements remain intact to meet the deadline.

The update comes two months after Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Roza Fatch Mbilizi toured the project and briefed journalists on government’s commitment to fast-track irrigation development in the Shire Valley.

Government has prioritised Kapichira Water Intake as a key intervention to improve food security and build resilience against floods and droughts that often affect Chikwawa and Nsanje districts.

Mchikoma said significant progress has also been registered on the main canal.

“Out of 50 kilometres of the main canal to be covered under Phase I, only four kilometres are remaining to be constructed,” he said.

Traditional Authority Kasisi of Chikwawa thanked government for expediting the project.

“This is to ensure that once water is released in October, farmers are ready to utilise it immediately,” he said.

The project, started in 2018 and is expected to end in 2031, but stalled due to lack of funds and the re-construction of the conveyance at Kapichira started in 2020 and the temporary conveyance will provide18 cubic metres per second to targeted areas.

The canal is designed to draw water from Kapichira to irrigate 43 370 hectares (ha), starting with 650ha in October 2026 under the Kambadwe and Mwanaalilenji irrigation cooperatives.

The project is running with funding from the World Bank, African Development Bank and Opec Fund.

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