‘Business units to boost food security, spur economic development’

Tariro Stacey Gatsi

GOVERNMENT has established 15 school business units, seven youth business units (YBU) and 87 village business units (VBU) following the launch of the programme by President Mnangagwa in Matabeleland South in 2021, as the Second Republic moves to boost food and nutrition security in rural communities across the country.

President Mnangagwa launched the programme at Jinjika Village in Mangwe district but has since spread to other parts of the country.

Village, school and youth business units are local economic entities established within rural villages to promote entrepreneurship, economic development and self-reliance at the grassroots level.

These units not only focus on increasing agricultural productivity but also on diversifying crops to ensure a more balanced and nutritious diet. By promoting the cultivation of a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and grains, they aim to combat malnutrition and improve overall community health.

The units typically focus on agricultural activities and aim to promote agriculture at every level.

The impact of these initiatives extends beyond the boundaries of the village business units. By strengthening local food production, they reduce dependency on external sources and create a more self-sufficient food system. This, in turn, contributes to the economic development of rural communities and empowers small-scale farmers to take control of their livelihoods.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Anxious Masuka recently said the main focus was to transform communal farmers from subsistence to surplus-oriented producers.

“My Ministry developed the Rural Development 8, 0 programme, which is a package of outcome-based and impact oriented Presidential schemes designed to transform communities and lift them out of poverty towards the attainment of Vision 2030,” he added.

Government is collaborating with some local banks to expand the initiative to more regions, ensuring that every community has a chance to benefit from this transformative approach to agriculture.

“They will be able to open bank accounts and get loans. They will also receive their monthly incomes via these accounts. Villagers from Mbuyamaswa village under headman Mbuyamaswa in Zaka, for instance, already have bank accounts and have started receiving their incomes through banks,” said Minister Masuka.

The current statistics on the last published horticultural plan indicate a sudden spike, contrasting with the relatively flat numbers in the past.

According to the last update from the Ministry, the number of established VBUs, SBUs and YBUs had increased by 58 percent from 69 to the current 109 across eight provinces.

A beneficiary from Manicaland, Mr Ngonidzashe Manyukwa said they were now firmly on a transformational path through these localised business development units.