Exchange Irrigation Scheme
Coordinates: 18°48′03″S 29°01′48″E / 18.800917°S 29.029886°E
Exchange Irrigation Scheme is a 165 hectare irrigated arable land in Zhombe Communal Land but in Silobela Constituency in Kwekwe District of the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. It is 37 km southwest of Zhombe Joel, 83 km northwest of Kwekwe and 25 km north of Crossroads DSC.
It is in region 3; the climatic conditions are semi arid with an average rainfall of 632mm per annum. Estimated elevation is 1200 metres above sea level.
Exchange Irrigation Scheme developed in two phases. The first phase was when in 1973 56 hectares were developed to supplement to farmers who had been resettled on 2.5 hectare dry land per household. Plot holder then had a "comma" as it is popularly known; thus a 0,1 hectare (if a person has 0,2ha he is said to have 2 commas. 1 hectare is 10 commas: ,1x10)
Phase 2 was when the scheme was rehabited and developed to 165 hectare; that is +109 hectares. The second phase saw allocation of commas to new farmer and addition of commas to existing farmers. In 1997 there were 850 plot holders with an average of 0.2ha plots per farmer.
It is fed by Exchange Dam which is on Gweru River. Gweru River is a tributary of Shangani River. Exchange Dam is the biggest reservoir in Gweru River followed by Insukamini Dam in Lower Gweru.
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