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By Elvis Dumba
A delegation from Mozambique that was part of Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi’s three-day state visit to Zimbabwe said they have been impressed by the country’s agriculture sector and seek to strengthen areas of cooperation in the sector to allow their country to become food secure.
The delegation visited Nyathi Imhenyu Farm in Banket, where they exchanged notes on wheat farming.
“We are very much impressed with what you have shown us here that it is possible to be food self-sufficient through hard work, and you have taught us that indeed the development of a successful country is done by its people, ” Homad Juizo, a member of Mozambican Parliament said.
Speaking through an interpreter, Juizo said they will request their government to invite farmers from Zimbabwe to invest in agriculture skills exchange with their Mozambican counterparts.
“We believe that our farmers can learn a lot from the Zimbabwean farmers, and we will find ways on how the two countries can exchange skills in empowering our farmers so that we grow to the level of being food sufficient and having a growing agriculture-based economy,” he said.
Mozambican Presidential Economic Advisor, Omar Mitha, said their country will take a leaf from the Zimbabwean Pfumvudza concept in promoting food security at the household level and upscale wheat production.
“We will find ways on how we can avail land to farmers from Zimbabwe so that they can enter into partnerships with our farmers so that we encourage skills transfer to our people and capacitate our farmers in Mozambique so that they can help grow our agriculture economy as we have impressed by the systems put in place by your government in supporting the sector,” he said.
Mitha said Zimbabwe should be commended for its resilience amidst the illegal sanctions imposed on her by the country’s detractors.
“You have proven that through commitment, hard work, and the right support from the government, you can take care of your food security, and you have managed all this under the illegal sanctions,” he said.
Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary, Dr. John Basera said Zimbabwe is going for growth in the agriculture sector, with the country able to achieve wheat self-sufficiency last year.
“Through various initiatives meant to support the sector, our government under the stewardship of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, we are going for growth and as the agriculture sector grows, other sub-sectors are also growing as we continue with our trajectory of food imports substitutions as we look inwards in becoming food secure,” he said.
Dr. Basera revealed to the Mozambican delegation how the government is supporting the agriculture sector through programs such as command agriculture and the presidential input scheme.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Davis Marapira, said the government and the private sector have managed to ensure the growth of the agriculture sector after the agrarian land reform program.
“Our land reform program is about 20 years now, and it has grown in leaps and bounds as we have one word of command as government and the private sector, which is agriculture financing that has helped the sector to be viable and successful,” he told the delegation.
Mike Mutasa, the farm owner, said through government support, he has managed to transform the production level at his farm.
Mutasa has already planted 600 hectares of wheat out of the targeted 800 hectares.
“We are currently finishing harvesting maize, and we harvested soya beans from these fields. We are now planting wheat, and I will say I am indebted to the support I have been having from the government. Commercial farming is capital intensive but with the support I have been getting over the years, I am now able to stand on my own feet and do my farming business,” he said.
Mutasa manages 1300 hectares of agricultural land which he has land leases from other farmers in Alaska and Mhangura.
Meanwhile, the Mozambican delegation has returned home after President Filipe Nyusi’s successful three-day state visit.