Staff reporter
…as France collaborates with Seed-Co
Yesterday President ED Mnangagwa commended investors from across the globe for showing confidence in the country’s policies toward economic growth through bringing in investment.
Speaking during the official opening the Seed-Co seed maize conditioning plant, the President vowed to continue to foster relations with the French Government that made an investment of US$12.7million.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Zimbabwe and on my own behalf, I express profound gratitude to the French Government, represented here by the Ambassador, His Excellency Laurent Chevallier, for the support that our country continues to receive from the French Republic.
“Zimbabwe remains committed to deepen the long standing fraternal relations with France, which span across all socio-economic sectors.
We thus stand ready to welcome more French companies to invest in our country,” said the President
The President applauded Seed-Co, for the its focus on development, as it is assisting in stimulating resilience and sustainable agriculture as the people prepare for the next farming season 2021/22.
“I commend Seed-Co for its strong research and development orientation, which is promoting resilience and sustainable agriculture. In light of the adverse effects brought about by climate change, Seed-Co’s churning out of various high yielding, pest and drought resistant, maize, wheat, soya bean, sugar bean, sorghum and cowpeas seed varieties, is applauded,” said President Mnangagwa.
The President further called on the research department to embrace and strengthen collaboration in the small and traditional grains with a view to improving on yield and augmenting food security.
“I also call upon stakeholders to invest in research and development of other traditional grains, which have high nutritional value and adaptable to climate change.
I urge the company to strengthen the collaborations and partnerships with our institutions of higher learning with the view of establishing more Agro-Industrial Parks”, said the President.
The President, further, added that the plant was a welcome development as the Government seeks to enhance our local skills, competencies and capabilities across sectors of the economy.
Meanwhile, farmers have welcomed the launch of the seed maize conditioning plant, saying seed had become very expensive, out of the reach of many. Seed for 1 hectare was going for ZW$11 000 per 25kg bag, pushing many farmers to resort to the re-use of seed from the previous harvests of maize whose yield did not reach expectation.
