US$13b agric economy: Manicaland on track
MANICALAND is on track to contribute to the US$13.75 billion agricultural economy through the rigorous implementation of smart agriculture initiatives.
This target will be achieved through production growth in dairy, crop production, animal husbandry, agroforestry, apiculture and aquaculture, among other things.
This comes after the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, under President Mnangagwa’s instruction, revised the 2025 agricultural economy target to US$13.75 billion.
Last year, the country achieved a US$8.1 billion agricultural economy, a target that was initially set for 2025.
This was achieved through climate smart agricultural initiatives such as
Pfumvudza/Intwasa, among many others.
Climate smart agriculture refers to an integrated and concerted approach to sustainably manage landscapes, cropland, livestock, forests and fisheries in efforts to address the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change.
Speaking during the Pfumvudza/ Intwasa inputs distribution launch for Manicaland Province held at Roman Catholic priest, Father Stanislaus Chetse’s homestead in Makoni District last week, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr John Basera said Government had to revise its targets after achieving the 2025 production target.
Dr Basera said Manicaland is expected to contribute significantly — to the attainment of the US$13.75 billion agricultural economy given its impressive performance in the sector.
“Government is forging ahead in enhancing productivity in the agricultural sector and it is against this background that all programmes, including the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Inputs Scheme, will be accelerated.
“Three million farmers across the country are set to benefit from this initiative, with 400 000 of those coming from Manicaland. This programme is part of a broader Government initiative to enhance productivity. As a Ministry, we are excited about the increased productivity across all agricultural sub-sectors, including livestock production.
“This is in line with the mandate given to us by President Mnangagwa with regards to achieving Vision 2030 as well as the need to maintain food security.
“The country has enough grain to feed its citizens and that should always be the case, with or without normal rainfall. We are in this Pfumvudza/ Intwasa Programme as part of our response to the devastating effects of climate change.
“You might have seen how climate change has affected farming operations as we now witness mid-season dry spells. Therefore, initiatives such as Pfumvudza/Intwasa come in handy in mitigation and adaptation to effects of climate change,” said Dr Basera.
Addressing dairy farmers and other stakeholders at the Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers Ninth Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Nyanga on Wednesday, Minister of State for
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