The Government of Tanzania plans to construct a TZS 18 billion Mkomazi Irrigation Dam in the Tanga region in Northeastern Tanzania as part of the 14 dams to be built in 2024/25.
This was revealed on 5th October 2024 by Tanzania’s Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Hussein Bashe during a public meeting in the Mangamtindiro village in the Mkomazi ward.
Hon. Bashe emphasized that the project involving the construction of 14 dams is worth more than TZS 100 billion and includes the construction of two 16 and 29-kilometer-long pipelines, main canals, sewage canals, a warehouse, an agricultural tools station, a rice harvester, and roads.
Speaking to the public, Hon. Bashe highlighted: “Among the 14 dams to be constructed in 2024/25 is this Mkomazi Dam, which costs 18 billion shillings and will benefit over 20,000 citizens, over seven wards, and 28 villages.”
Minister Bashe directed the National Irrigation Commission to ensure that the Mkomazi Dam is surrounded by an electric fence to protect its infrastructure and to install solar street lights.
He also assigned the commission to make sure that the herders in the Mkomazi ward were allocated areas for livestock grazing.
The Mkomazi ward is known for cultivating bananas, maize, cassava, coffee, rice, and sunflower.
Tanzania Irrigation for Farming
The Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) indicates that the country has 44 million hectares of arable land with an estimated 29.4 million hectares suitable for irrigation.
The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage of Australia (ICID) explains that until recently, irrigation in Tanzania took place on traditional irrigation schemes.
Although such schemes have worked well for generations, they are now inadequate due to sharp increases in population, fair wear and tear catchment degradation, waterlogging, and salinity.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is engaged in the construction of Tanzania irrigation schemes, which are organized systems or projects designed to supply water to agricultural land for crop cultivation.
Some of JICA’s projects include the BIDP irrigation scheme in Bagamoyo, the Ulyanyama Irrigation scheme in Tabora, the Itipinga irrigation scheme in Njombe, and the Nyida irrigation scheme in Shinyanga.
JICA highlighted that irrigated areas increased from 274,000 hectares in 2008 to 475,000 hectares in 2017.
