AfDB’s US$22m package reaches 100 000

Theseus Mauruki Shambare

AT least 100 000 farmers across the country have benefited from easier access to quality seed and fertiliser under the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) US$22 million agricultural support package introduced to cushion Zimbabwe against global food supply disruptions caused by the 2022 Ukraine crisis.

The intervention, implemented through the African Emergency Food Production Facility, was revealed during a three-day National Seed Business Summit and Seed Roadmap Workshop that was being held in Harare, where stakeholders were crafting a five-year strategy to strengthen Zimbabwe’s seed systems and boost agricultural productivity.

Speaking at the summit on behalf of the AfDB Acting Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Dr Martin Fregene, the bank’s Chief Agriculture Technology Officer and Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Programme Coordinator, Mr Innocent Musabyimana, said the programme had improved access to critical agricultural inputs.

“The African Emergency Food Production Facility successfully reached over 100 000 Zimbabwean farmers with quality seed and fertiliser, boosting production across key cereals and serving as a model for the 34 African countries that benefited from the facility,” said Mr Musabyimana.

He said Zimbabwe had emerged as one of Africa’s strongest seed sector performers due to strong public-private partnerships, research capacity and Government support for agricultural transformation.

“Quality seed remains the foundation of agricultural transformation, productivity and national food sovereignty,” he said.

“Zimbabwe’s seed sector is already among the strongest in Africa, supported by strong policies, a strong research system and critically an active private sector.”

Mr Musabyimana also commended Zimbabwe’s use of digital platforms to improve input distribution and strengthen traceability in seed supply chains.

“Zimbabwe represents a very good example of how partnership between Government, research institutions, development partners and the private sector can accelerate agricultural transformation,” he said.

The three-day summit, running under the theme “Strengthening Seed Systems for Agricultural Transformation,” has brought together policymakers, seed companies, researchers, farmer organisations, development agencies and financial institutions.

Delegates on Wednesday broke into commodity-specific working groups covering maize, wheat, soybean, beans, sorghum, millet and groundnuts to develop targeted strategies on seed production, climate resilience, quality assurance and market access.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Professor Obert Jiri said Zimbabwe’s ambitions to transform agriculture into a US$15,8 billion industry by 2030 depended heavily on strengthening national seed systems.

“The seed is not merely the beginning of a plant; it is the beginning of a nation’s prosperity,” said Prof Jiri.

“None of these targets are achievable without a robust, responsive and well-regulated seed system.”

He said Government was prioritising certified seed distribution, climate-smart crop varieties and digital traceability systems to combat counterfeit seed and improve productivity.

Prof Jiri said Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector had grown from US$5,2 billion to US$10,3 billion under the National Development Strategy 1 framework, while wheat production increased from 175 000 tonnes in 2020 to more than 645 000 tonnes despite recurrent droughts.

The summit concludes today with the expected adoption of Zimbabwe’s five-year National Seed Roadmap and Investment Plan, which will guide future seed sector reforms and agricultural investment priorities.on Facility, was revealed during a three-day National Seed Business Summit and Seed Roadmap Workshop that is being held in Harare, where stakeholders were crafting a five-year strategy to strengthen Zimbabwe’s seed systems and boost agricultural productivity.

Speaking at the summit on behalf of the AfDB Acting Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Dr Martin Fregene, the bank’s Chief Agriculture Technology Officer and Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Programme Coordinator, Mr Innocent Musabyimana, said the programme had improved access to critical agricultural inputs.

“The African Emergency Food Production Facility successfully reached over 100 000 Zimbabwean farmers with quality seed and fertiliser, boosting production across key cereals and serving as a model for the 34 African countries that benefited from the facility,” said Mr Musabyimana.

He said Zimbabwe had emerged as one of Africa’s strongest seed sector performers due to strong public-private partnerships, research capacity and Government support for agricultural transformation.“Quality seed remains the foundation of agricultural transformation, productivity and national food sovereignty,” he said.

“Zimbabwe’s seed sector is already among the strongest in Africa, supported by strong policies, a strong research system and critically an active private sector.”

Mr Musabyimana also commended Zimbabwe’s use of digital platforms to improve input distribution and strengthen traceability in seed supply chains.

“Zimbabwe represents a very good example of how partnership between Government, research institutions, development partners and the private sector can accelerate agricultural transformation,” he said.

The three-day summit, running under the theme “Strengthening Seed Systems for Agricultural Transformation,” has brought together policymakers, seed companies, researchers, farmer organisations, development agencies and financial institutions.

Delegates on Wednesday broke into commodity-specific working groups covering maize, wheat, soybean, beans, sorghum, millet and groundnuts to develop targeted strategies on seed production, climate resilience, quality assurance and market access.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Professor Obert Jiri, said Zimbabwe’s ambitions to transform agriculture into a US$15,8 billion industry by 2030 depended heavily on strengthening national seed systems.

“The seed is not merely the beginning of a plant; it is the beginning of a nation’s prosperity,” said Prof Jiri.

“None of these targets is achievable without a robust, responsive and well-regulated seed system.”

He said the Government was prioritising certified seed distribution, climate-smart crop varieties and digital traceability systems to combat counterfeit seed and improve productivity.

Prof Jiri said Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector had grown from US$5,2 billion to US$10,3 billion under the National Development Strategy 1 framework, while wheat production increased from 175 000 tonnes in 2020 to more than 645 000 tonnes despite recurrent droughts.

The summit concludes today with the expected adoption of Zimbabwe’s five-year National Seed Roadmap and Investment Plan, which will guide future seed sector reforms and agricultural investment priorities.

AfDB’s US$22m package reaches 100 000

Theseus Mauruki Shambare

AT least 100 000 farmers across the country have benefited from easier access to quality seed and fertiliser under the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) US$22 million agricultural support package introduced to cushion Zimbabwe against global food supply disruptions caused by the 2022 Ukraine crisis.

The intervention, implemented through the African Emergency Food Production Facility, was revealed during a three-day National Seed Business Summit and Seed Roadmap Workshop that was being held in Harare, where stakeholders were crafting a five-year strategy to strengthen Zimbabwe’s seed systems and boost agricultural productivity.

Speaking at the summit on behalf of the AfDB Acting Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Dr Martin Fregene, the bank’s Chief Agriculture Technology Officer and Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Programme Coordinator, Mr Innocent Musabyimana, said the programme had improved access to critical agricultural inputs.

“The African Emergency Food Production Facility successfully reached over 100 000 Zimbabwean farmers with quality seed and fertiliser, boosting production across key cereals and serving as a model for the 34 African countries that benefited from the facility,” said Mr Musabyimana.

He said Zimbabwe had emerged as one of Africa’s strongest seed sector performers due to strong public-private partnerships, research capacity and Government support for agricultural transformation.

“Quality seed remains the foundation of agricultural transformation, productivity and national food sovereignty,” he said.

“Zimbabwe’s seed sector is already among the strongest in Africa, supported by strong policies, a strong research system and critically an active private sector.”

Mr Musabyimana also commended Zimbabwe’s use of digital platforms to improve input distribution and strengthen traceability in seed supply chains.

“Zimbabwe represents a very good example of how partnership between Government, research institutions, development partners and the private sector can accelerate agricultural transformation,” he said.

The three-day summit, running under the theme “Strengthening Seed Systems for Agricultural Transformation,” has brought together policymakers, seed companies, researchers, farmer organisations, development agencies and financial institutions.

Delegates on Wednesday broke into commodity-specific working groups covering maize, wheat, soybean, beans, sorghum, millet and groundnuts to develop targeted strategies on seed production, climate resilience, quality assurance and market access.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Professor Obert Jiri said Zimbabwe’s ambitions to transform agriculture into a US$15,8 billion industry by 2030 depended heavily on strengthening national seed systems.

“The seed is not merely the beginning of a plant; it is the beginning of a nation’s prosperity,” said Prof Jiri.

“None of these targets are achievable without a robust, responsive and well-regulated seed system.”

He said Government was prioritising certified seed distribution, climate-smart crop varieties and digital traceability systems to combat counterfeit seed and improve productivity.

Prof Jiri said Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector had grown from US$5,2 billion to US$10,3 billion under the National Development Strategy 1 framework, while wheat production increased from 175 000 tonnes in 2020 to more than 645 000 tonnes despite recurrent droughts.

The summit concludes today with the expected adoption of Zimbabwe’s five-year National Seed Roadmap and Investment Plan, which will guide future seed sector reforms and agricultural investment priorities.on Facility, was revealed during a three-day National Seed Business Summit and Seed Roadmap Workshop that is being held in Harare, where stakeholders were crafting a five-year strategy to strengthen Zimbabwe’s seed systems and boost agricultural productivity.

Speaking at the summit on behalf of the AfDB Acting Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Dr Martin Fregene, the bank’s Chief Agriculture Technology Officer and Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Programme Coordinator, Mr Innocent Musabyimana, said the programme had improved access to critical agricultural inputs.

“The African Emergency Food Production Facility successfully reached over 100 000 Zimbabwean farmers with quality seed and fertiliser, boosting production across key cereals and serving as a model for the 34 African countries that benefited from the facility,” said Mr Musabyimana.

He said Zimbabwe had emerged as one of Africa’s strongest seed sector performers due to strong public-private partnerships, research capacity and Government support for agricultural transformation.“Quality seed remains the foundation of agricultural transformation, productivity and national food sovereignty,” he said.

“Zimbabwe’s seed sector is already among the strongest in Africa, supported by strong policies, a strong research system and critically an active private sector.”

Mr Musabyimana also commended Zimbabwe’s use of digital platforms to improve input distribution and strengthen traceability in seed supply chains.

“Zimbabwe represents a very good example of how partnership between Government, research institutions, development partners and the private sector can accelerate agricultural transformation,” he said.

The three-day summit, running under the theme “Strengthening Seed Systems for Agricultural Transformation,” has brought together policymakers, seed companies, researchers, farmer organisations, development agencies and financial institutions.

Delegates on Wednesday broke into commodity-specific working groups covering maize, wheat, soybean, beans, sorghum, millet and groundnuts to develop targeted strategies on seed production, climate resilience, quality assurance and market access.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Professor Obert Jiri, said Zimbabwe’s ambitions to transform agriculture into a US$15,8 billion industry by 2030 depended heavily on strengthening national seed systems.

“The seed is not merely the beginning of a plant; it is the beginning of a nation’s prosperity,” said Prof Jiri.

“None of these targets is achievable without a robust, responsive and well-regulated seed system.”

He said the Government was prioritising certified seed distribution, climate-smart crop varieties and digital traceability systems to combat counterfeit seed and improve productivity.

Prof Jiri said Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector had grown from US$5,2 billion to US$10,3 billion under the National Development Strategy 1 framework, while wheat production increased from 175 000 tonnes in 2020 to more than 645 000 tonnes despite recurrent droughts.

The summit concludes today with the expected adoption of Zimbabwe’s five-year National Seed Roadmap and Investment Plan, which will guide future seed sector reforms and agricultural investment priorities.