Staff Reporter

His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa has implored stakeholders and higher leaning institutions to adapt to interventions that would see improved productivity, quality and competitive products on both local and export markets.

Speaking in Marondera during an official opening of the Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (MUAST) Agro-Industrial Park, President Mnangagwa said, stakeholders and institutions of higher learning should give due attention to aspects such as agricultural mechanisations, packaging of perishables, modern process technologies, perishable products and phytosanitary issues.

“To this end, institutions of higher learning and other stakeholders must give due attention to aspects such has agricultural mechanisations; modern processing technologies; packaging of perishable products and phytosanitary issues, among other interventions. These should see improved productivity, quality and competitiveness of our products for both the local and export market,” said President Mnangagwa.

President Mnangagwa also encouraged Universities to be hubs which responsively improve and adapt the ecosystem that drives innovation and industrialisation within Agro-Industrial Parks. Adding that institutions of higher learning must develop models of best practices with regards to best practices in efficient post-harvesting handling, processing and marketing operations.

“Meanwhile, Industrial Parks must provide a platform for researchers to apply several technologies to develop new plant and animal varieties a well as for smart farming strategies. Hence, our Universities should never be merely laboratories but also producers. Therefore, I further challenge our Universities to responsively improve and adapt the ecosystem that drives innovation and industrialisation within our Agro-Industrial Parks and Innovation Hubs.

“Equally important is the need for our institutions of higher learning to develop models of best practices with regards to efficiency of post-harvesting handling, processing and marketing operations. Agro-Industrial Parks are exhorted to ultimately provide rural development services to the local community such as refrigeration, storage and links to both domestic and export markets,” the President said.

Meanwhile, His Excellency President Mnangagwa applauded MUAST for putting to use 140 hectares of land under wheat, saying that this would add towards the realisation of government’s quest for self-sufficiency.  He further, applauded the University for Research Work on some local indigenous vegetables (nyevhe and mowa). While urging the youth to take advantage of the institutions and learn on agricultural benefits so as to create jobs and feed the nation.