By Claver Nyuki
The once bread basket of Africa, Zimbabwe enjoys a favourable climate and terrain conducive to not only provide for the country but for Africa.
Over the past couple of years, Zimbabwe has been facing some economic challenges as a result of the illegal sanctions imposed by the United States of America, which resultantly affected prices and availability of basic commodity, unemployment rate and production in most of our factories rendering thousands unemployed.
The key to reviving the country’s economy lies in the agriculture sector, a fact that Government has already identified and seen the need to strengthen by mean of the command agriculture, Presidential input scheme and command livestock initiatives.
His Excellency, President Mnangagwa speaking at the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) annual business review, said agriculture was the mainstay of the Zimbabwean economy and assured the nation that more effort will be placed in mechanization of the sector to ensure production increased and supply of raw material was guaranteed.
On top of providing enough food provisions, agriculture is significant in ensuring that Zimbabwe harness its demographic dividend and giving an opportunity to the youths to exploit opportunities in the sector and its value chains.
Demographic dividend refers to the temporary economic benefit that can arise from a significant increase in the ratio of working age adults relative to young dependents those results from fertility decline- if this change is accompanied by sustained investments in education and skills development, health, job creation and good governance.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube is on record saying that the agriculture sector will be critical in providing employment to the youth and lifting them out of poverty.
In addition to attracting more investors, there is need to develop infrastructure for irrigation, Government already recognises this need and has set aside $36.5million in its 2019 National Budget to develop irrigation, develop communication and transportation of commodities, developing agribusiness and also integrate ICT use in agriculture for optimum production and revival of the economy.
There has been a marked improvement in the agricultural sector with the tobacco season recording an all-time record sales, the command agriculture also recorded success as the country can now afford to have grain in its reserves and the cotton output is reported as having surged 95% from last season.
The agriculture sector will be critical in the rejuvenation of the country’s economy and Government is aware of this fact but a lot needs to be done before we can reclaim our place as the bread basket of Africa, a feat that is not impossible at all.
