Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
LANDS, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister, Honourable Vangelis Peter Haritatos, has urged Zimbabweans to stop exporting raw produce and focus on value addition to unlock billions of dollars for the economy.
Speaking at a Breakfast Investment Conference at a local hotel this morning, Honourable Haritatos, said exporting raw materials is costing the country opportunities for higher earnings and job creation.
“Value addition is the missing piece of the puzzle. We cannot continue to export unprocessed cotton or tobacco. For example, cigarettes sell at about US$40 per kilogramme, yet the raw tobacco starts at US$4. Where else can you get such margins?” he said.
He highlighted the potential for industries such as juice processing, tea and coffee packaging, tomato paste production, potato chipping, seed oil extraction, textiles, ethanol, and biodiesel.
“The opportunities are right before us. If we move towards beneficiation, we can turn billions into tens of billions for our economy,” Honourable Haritatos added.
He called on Zimbabweans to lead in driving the transformation, saying domestic investment must come first before relying on foreign players.
“This is our country. We must lead the way,” he said.
