Staff reporter
The Presidential Summit Session of the African Green Resolution Forum (AGRF) has resolved that Africa must create models of agriculture that guarantee food security for the continent.
Speaking in Harare soon after his arrival from Kigali, Rwanda, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the AGRF resolved that Africa should create models where the continent is food, fuel and gas secure.
“Related to Africa Green Revolution Forum and relating to agriculture in particular, Africa as a continent is looking at how Africa should be food secure. Africa must create models of agriculture that guarantee food security for the continent.
“We should migrate from dependency from outside Africa. We should be food, fuel and gas secure on the continent,” said the President.
The AGRF is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture which attracts to it an array of stakeholders in the agriculture sectors. At the summit, lessons and ideas are shared with a sole aim of driving Africa forward.
To meet the set goals and targets of a self-secure continent by the AGRF, the Second Republic is currently engaged in various projects which include the building of Lake Gwayi-Shangani in Matebeleland North. This dam will create a massive water source for irrigation to farmers in this region.
President Mnangagwa recently commissioned a fertilizer blending plant at Zimbabwe Phosphate Industries (Zimphos) in Harare. The expansion of the Zimphos is expected to produce 200 000 tonnes of basal fertilizer per year and reduce the gap of supply that has been caused by on-going shortages globally.
The Second Republic has also made strides to boost power production in Zimbabwe through the expansion of Hwange Colliery Plants seven and eight and also the installation of mini hydro power station on Lake Gwayi-Shangani.
Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) signed a Solar Power deal with Matshela Energy. In this deal Matshela will construct a 100-megawatt Gwanda Solar Plant in Matebeleland Province. All these power installations are expected to direct power into the national power grid so as to service Zimbabwe’s Agriculture sector, Mining sector and Industry.
The Government has also given due attention to road networking and rehabilitation to improve connectivity between Zimbabwe and other regional countries. A railway line linking South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique is in the card. Locally, Government has completed the Chirunduru-Harare-Mutare road and the rehabilitation of the Harare-Bulawayo road. Currently Government is working on the Harare-Beitbridge road whilst awaiting the rehabilitation of the Bulawayo to Victoria Falls road.
