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Cletus Mushanawani
News Editor
ZIMBABWE achieved the highest traditional grains production volume, while maize production was the second highest since independence during the 2020/21 summer season.
This was revealed by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka during his ministry’s strategic planning workshop in Vumba early this week.
“Last year we had a bumper harvest. The statistics are gratifying. We achieved the highest traditional grains production volume since independence. We achieved the second highest maize production since independence. We are poised for the highest wheat harvest since independence. But this is neither about historical, nor contemporary comparisons. This is about Vision 2030.
“We must ensure that the 2.3 million rural households move from subsistence farming to surplus-oriented farming. We must ensure that the 360 000 A1 farms become SMEs.
“I see 360 000 businesses. I see each employing two people, so cumulatively some 720 000 jobs.
“We are duty bound to ensure that the 21 000 A2 farmers become businesswomen and businessmen, in short, that they become perennially successful and serial agro-prenuers.
“I see another 21 000 businesses employing an average of 10 people each, so 210 000 formally employed,” said Minister Masuka.
He said focus must be on increased production, higher production and improved profitability.
“Agriculture development must go beyond import substitution. Agriculture development must go beyond food, feed, fibre and bio-fuels security.
“Agricultural development must go beyond value addition and beneficiation. Agricultural development must go beyond increasing exports. Agricultural development must go beyond employment creation, and still agricultural development must go beyond lives and livelihoods improvement. Agricultural development must spur rural development. In turn, rural development must accelerate the attainment of Vision 2030,” said Minister Masuku.
He said to achieve the attainment of Vision 2030, his ministry needs people and process alignment- which must commence with ethics, philosophy and behavioural change.
“This is the essence of ‘Ethics and Governance Module’ we have now launched at all our colleges as part of the broader Agricultural Education for Development AE4D 5.0) curriculum review to produce business advisers and entrepreneurs, and not just extensionists and trainers, what we used to do under Agricultural Education 2.0 .
A similar in-service training module is now available for all staff, starting with field staff- Agritex and veterinary staff,” he said.
Speaking at the same occasion, the ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr John Basera said the road to an ultimate transformed agriculture sector is marred by many wars, and paradoxes along the way which include droughts, Covid-19, climate extremes, resurgent and new pests and diseases.
“In the yester-season we broke records; our agriculture grew by 34 percent to a 7.8 billion agriculture economy against an initial forecast of 11 percent. Cereal production grew by 189 percent to over three million tonnes during the 2020/21 comparable to the 2019/20 season.
“We managed to climate proof our agriculture by a massive, and countrywide adoption of Command Agriculture. Pfumvudza was a big success.
“Livestock sector also grew, albeit marginally in 2020/21, due to the 2019/20 season’s drought. “The Veterinary Services Department managed to reduce January Disease cases and deaths by over 47 percent,” said Dr Basera.
He added: “This is incredibly important work, and is making real difference in the lives and livelihoods of our Zimbabwean people especially in the rural areas where over 67 percent of our population resides and this indeed is spurring the growth of the rural economy.”
He called for the upping of the game and surpass last season’s success.
“We need to do it again as they say consistencies build legacies, and lest the yester-season success will be deemed a fluke. Transformation is fundamentally a process and defined by consistencies.
“At this moment, we all face a choice, we can choose to do more, and prosper more, or we choose to bask on yester-season success and rest,” said Dr Basera.
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