By Rungano Dzikira

Youths in Mashonaland East have been challenged to take part in Government initiated youth empowerment projects, as this guarantees their participation in the mainstream economy.

Speaking during a field visit at Mutoko Fruit and Vegetable Hub, this Monday, the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Monitoring Implementation of Government Programmes, Joram Gumbo said that he was impressed with the progress on the ground.

“The project we are gathered here for, Mutoko Fruit and Vegetable Hub, was designed to ensure that youths realise maximum benefits in the pursuit of economic opportunities in horticulture.

“Today’s event affirms Government’s commitment at the highest level to ensure that we remain on track towards the delivery of programmes that will turnaround lives of our youths,” he said.

The fruit and vegetable processing hub has two components namely the Packaging House and Tomato Processing Plant. The construction of a fruits and vegetable pack house was completed in September 2019 and is equipped with manual grading and packing equipment.

“The second phase of the project is the construction of the Tomato Paste Processing Plant. To date the factory shell is complete and now awaiting installation of the processing plant. Procurement of the plant is in progress,” assured Gumbo.

The hub when completed will provide direct market for youths in the horticulture sector.

The tour was set to assess the progress made so far in implementing programmes designed for the empowerment of youths.

The project is supported by African Development Bank under the Youth and Women Empowerment Programme (YWEP). Establishment of Mutoko Fruit and Vegetable Hub is an intervention aimed at enhancing youth participation in the mainstream economy through putting in place key infrastructure and provision of critical business support services.