By Agriculture Reporter
Visiting Malawi’s Minister of Agriculture, Lobin Clarke Lowe, was impressed by the country’s agriculture sector and said his country has a lot to learn in terms of production and climate-proof farming from Zimbabwe.
Minister Lowe said this yesterday when he, together with his Zimbabwe’s counterpart Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Anxious Masuka, toured the Seed Co Rattray Arnold Research Station in Goromonzi.
“After going through the research station, we appreciate and have learnt a lot. Soon we will send a delegation to visit the Ministry of Agriculture and Seed Co. There is a lot to learn from transformative agriculture in Zimbabwe. My Government is going towards transformative agriculture and we need to be oriented and Zimbabwe is the best country to get that orientation. I wish we had stakeholders or partners like Seed Co. If we have similar investment in research it would help the country and the region. I like the way you collaborate with your Government,” said Minister Lowe.
Minister Lowe hailed President Mnangagwa for supporting the country’s agricultural sector through various presidential support schemes.
“Zimbabwe has so many Presidential initiatives such as the irrigation programme and horticulture schemes. I commend Government for all those initiatives,” said Minister Lowe.
The Malawian Minister said that his Government is now focusing on irrigation and they are targeting to irrigate at least 400 000 hectares. To date, only about 40 000 hectares are under irrigation in Malawi.
Minister Lowe, who was visiting the country for the first time, said he was impressed by the warm hospitality of the Zimbabwean people.
Speaking at the same event, Minister Masuka said agricultural colleges must not churn out extensionists, but agricultural entrepreneurs who will transform the agriculture sector into a viable business.
Minister Masuka showed concern over low yields at some farms and said there was need for farmers to closely work with Agritex to maximize production.
“We have motorized those (Agritex Officers) and given them gadgets. They should be prepared for paradigm shifts so they can help households to transform from farming for subsistence to business,” said Minister Masuka.
Minister Masuka added that the private sector in the country should actively participate and partner the Government on some developmental activities so that the country can achieve Vision 2030 of having an Upper Middle Income Economy status by 2030.
He further hailed the seed houses as they provide the elite genetic material that enables the agricultural sector transformation.
For the tour, the two Ministers were accompanied by Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in charge of Mashonaland East, Aplonia Munzverengwi, Malawian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms Annie Yauka Kumwenda and Seed Co managing director, Dr Edworks Mhandu, senior Government officials and agriculture scientists.
The team toured several demonstration plots of crop varieties being bred by Seed Co that include rice, soya beans, sugar beans, sorghum, onions and cabbages, among other hybrid crop varieties.
