China, Zimbabwe sign deal to upgrade irrigation facilities

China and Zimbabwe on Thursday signed letters of exchange on the upgrading and maintenance of the China-aid irrigation schemes project, aiming to strengthen Zimbabwe's agricultural productivity and climate change resilience.

HARARE, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- China and Zimbabwe on Thursday signed letters of exchange on the upgrading and maintenance of the China-aid irrigation schemes project, aiming to strengthen Zimbabwe's agricultural productivity and climate change resilience.

The project will upgrade and renovate nine irrigation facilities in six provinces of Zimbabwe, according to the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe.

Responding to a question from Xinhua following the signing ceremony, Zimbabwean Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said the support from China will aid Zimbabwe's goal of increasing irrigated land and modernizing agriculture to boost productivity, particularly for rural farmers.

"This support from China will contribute to Zimbabwe's objectives and vision to increase irrigation coverage right across the country. It is also the bedrock of rural industrialization, because once you have water and there is agricultural output," said Ncube.

The irrigation project will also help climate-proof agriculture and ensure food security, as rain-fed agriculture is vulnerable to climatic disturbances such as droughts and erratic rainfall, Ncube said.

"This is a resource that will be used for upgrading various irrigation schemes, and this is critical for climate-proofing Zimbabwe's agriculture. We have said this is the way to do it, whether it rains or not, we want to make sure that we can produce enough food for Zimbabweans, and irrigation is the key," said Ncube.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding said the project marks another milestone in the close partnership between China and Zimbabwe.

"It is designed to unlock greater productivity for smallholder farmers, catalyze agricultural modernization, and strengthen the nation's resilience to climate change," said Zhou, adding that China has been continuing to support Zimbabwe through various projects to improve local people's livelihoods. ■