Hit by worsening drought, Zimbabwe taps funding for water-wise farming
LUNGELO NDHLOVU AFTER long-running drought slashed their harvests, small-scale farmers in Lupane, western Zimbabwe, decided to switch away from irrigating their fields by flooding them, which wastes huge amounts of water. They tested out more precise drip irrigation that saves water by delivering it to plants efficiently, while monitoring soil moisture and temperature with pressure sensors. Those practices have enabled farmers in the Tshongokwe Irrigation Scheme in Matabeleland North province to grow vegetables and adapt to more challenging climate conditions. "We started growing cabbages at a larger scale last May," said Soneni Dube, chairperson of the scheme's committee. "We had…