Staff Reporter
President Emmerson Mnangagwa emphasized the critical role of agriculture in regional development, showcasing Zimbabwe's impressive strides in agricultural productivity and innovation.
In his speech today at the Korea-Africa Summit he underscored the significance of agriculture for rural communities across Africa and highlighted Zimbabwe's achievements under his administration's Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy.
“Agriculture is the mainstay of Zimbabwe's economy, providing livelihoods for approximately 67% of the population. Due to our comprehensive Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy, agriculture and agriculture-based value chains contribute about 24% to GDP,” President Mnangagwa stated
President Mnangagwa also credited the surge in agricultural production to Government investments in modern farming techniques, increased access to quality seeds and fertilizers, and the conservation agriculture model, Pfumvudza/Intwasa.
“These investments in a production and productivity enhancing ecosystem saw the country surpass a five-year target of raising the gross value of agriculture output, with the sector now at US$9.8 billion,” he announced.
The President also introduced the Rural Agri-Village Business Units initiative, designed to enhance food security and economic empowerment at the village level.
“As part of Zimbabwe's multipronged agriculture development revolution, my government is establishing Rural Agri-Village Business Units throughout the country's 35,000 villages. These units guarantee food and nutrition security as well as incomes right at the village level,” he explained.
However, despite progress, President Mnangagwa acknowledged the challenges posed by climate change, particularly the El Niño-induced drought affecting southern Africa.
To combat this, Zimbabwe has implemented a wheat-based food security strategy and introduced a sovereign insurance scheme to protect rural communities from climate-related disasters.
Key elements of Zimbabwe’s climate-proofing strategies include dam construction, water harvesting, and irrigation development.
“This has seen us building new dams in all ten of our country's provinces. Around each dam are aspects that include irrigation development, power generation, fisheries, and conveyancing for household water and sanitation,” President Mnangagwa said.
He also praised the partnership between Africa and Korea, noting the mutual benefits of exchanging knowledge and technology in agriculture.
“Korea's advancement in agricultural innovation can complement Africa's rich agricultural heritage. Let us, therefore, scale up partnerships, such as that provided by this Summit, towards building resilient food systems, promoting inclusive growth, and ensuring a prosperous future for all our people,” President Mnangagwa urged.
Meanwhile, the ongoing Korea-Africa Summit is strengthening ties between Zimbabwe and Korea, focusing on collaborative efforts to enhance agricultural innovation, infrastructure development, and sustainable growth.
