Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu [email protected]
FARMERS in Matabeleland South have been challenged to move away from subsistence farming and embrace commercial agriculture, with Government saying increased production, value addition and stronger market linkages are key to transforming the province into a food-secure and economically vibrant region.
Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluvhe made the call while officially opening the 68th edition of the Matabeleland South Agricultural Show in Gwanda yesterday.
The three-day event, which ran from August 20 to 22 under the theme “Unlocking New Opportunities through Collaboration,” brought together farmers, Government departments, financial institutions, mining companies, manufacturers, seed companies and other players in the agricultural value chain.
Minister Nguluvhe said agriculture should no longer be viewed merely as a means of producing enough food for individual households, but as a commercial enterprise capable of supplying national markets and raw materials to industry.
“Allow me to say that farming has long evolved from mere subsistence farming that mainly devoted on feeding one’s family to one where farmers leverage on available resources to feed the entire country or avail the much-needed farming raw materials to the entire economy through collaboration, value addition and beneficiation as spelled out in NDS 2,” he said.
He urged farmers to work together and support one another to increase production and contribute towards national economic development.
“We need to collaborate as various players and empower each other so that we do not only end hunger at household level but we join multitudes in developing our beloved country Zimbabwe and bring it back to its bread basket status and glory,” he said.
The Minister commended young farmers who participated in the exhibition, saying their involvement demonstrated that the country’s youth were responding to Government’s call to take an active role in national development.
He said farmers should also take advantage of national, regional and international agricultural exhibitions to showcase their products, identify markets and build business partnerships.
“I had the opportunity to go around most of the exhibition stands and interact with exhibitors and showgoers. Surely, we have the potential to grow as a province. I was treated to excellent displays and exhibitions by our farmers from around the region and, most interestingly, budding farmers,” he said.
The show provided farmers with an opportunity to showcase crops and livestock while interacting with financial institutions, agribusinesses, mining companies, manufacturers and other potential buyers and service providers.
Minister Nguluvhe said such linkages were critical in helping farmers access finance, technology, markets and modern agricultural practices.
He also challenged the corporate sector to support the Matabeleland South Agricultural Show
Society’s plans to transform the showgrounds into a modern exhibition park.
He said the facility needed spacious exhibition areas and improved accommodation for farmers, including construction of a farmers’ hostel.
Matabeleland South Agricultural Show Society president Ms Sheron Dewa said this year’s theme was particularly relevant because agriculture could no longer succeed in isolation.
She said farmers required access to markets, finance, technology, information and reliable inputs, while businesses depended on productive farmers and consumers.
“Government provides policy direction and infrastructure. Financial institutions provide capital.
Researchers and educational institutions provide knowledge and innovation. Development partners provide valuable technical support. When these different sectors work together, we create opportunities that none of us could unlock alone,” she said.
Ms Dewa said the agricultural show provided a platform where these different players could interact, exchange ideas, showcase products and technologies, identify markets and establish partnerships.
She said the success of an agricultural exhibition should not be measured only by the number of people who attended, but by the relationships, business opportunities and partnerships that continued after the event.
“A successful agricultural show should not end when the gates close but should be measured through relationships that have been established, business opportunities that have been identified, the knowledge that has been shared and the partnerships that will continue beyond this event,” she said.
The show featured crop and livestock farmers alongside Government departments, parastatals, seed companies, non-governmental organisations, uniformed forces and other private-sector players.
Agricultural exhibitions provide farmers with opportunities to secure contracts, access capital, learn about climate-resilient farming methods and explore value-addition opportunities.
The push towards commercial agriculture comes as the agricultural sector remains central to Zimbabwe’s broader development ambitions under the National Development Strategy 2 and Vision 2030, with increased productivity expected to strengthen food security, create employment, expand rural incomes and provide raw materials for industry.
Matabeleland South largely depends on agriculture and livestock production. The drive towards commercialisation is expected to help farmers move from producing primarily for household consumption to participating more meaningfully in formal markets and agricultural value chains.
