Women urged to take advantage of bilateral trade
BUSINESS women have been urged to take advantage of several bilateral trade agreements that Zimbabwe has with other countries to increase their markets through exports.
Speaking on the sidelines of an export awareness seminar in Bulawayo recently which was facilitated by ZimTrade, Women’s Alliance of Business Associations in Zimbabwe vice chairperson Mrs Judith Mizha said local women needed to expose their products to other countries.
“As Wabaz we are working with development partners to help women with adequate knowledge to help them upgrade their businesses. In this seminar we are working with ZimTrade to facilitate exports for women in other countries to have the exposure to the outside market.
“As you know, we have trade agreements that also allow women to sell their products to countries like Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia and everywhere around the world. They must just take advantage of those trade agreements in order for them to penetrate the foreign markets,” she said.
Wabaz which is a coalition of women in business associations in Zimbabwe was formed by nine women in Business Associations in August 2011 under the auspices of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC).
The number of women business associations has grown to 27, representing approximately 16 000 individual informal and formal women entrepreneurs.
Last month, Turkey and Zimbabwe signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at deepening bilateral trade and investment relations for mutual cooperation between the two countries.
Mrs Mizha added that women must work together and share ideas for their businesses to be viable. She said the main objective of the seminar was to conscientise women in business to venture into exports market vigorously since ZimTrade was the country’s national export promotion and trade development agency. THE dry season comes not only with a deterioration in rangelands but mineral deficiencies also begin to take effect on animals on a poor plane of nutrition.
It is during this time that animals with mineral deficiencies are observed going for a variety of strange objects which ordinarily do not constitute the diet of an animal.
These are items such as plastics, pieces of fabric and bones. It is important for farmers to note that the cravings for such objects is actually an indication of mineral deficiency and it is easily corrected by giving your animals mineral supplements.
These are available as blocks which your animals will lick and the craving for unusual objects will disappear.
These mineral blocks can also be used as a rangeland management tool especially in encouraging our animals to consume even those grass species which they do not like.
You simply place the blocks in such areas