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Tendai Rupapa in TOKYO, Japan
ZIMBABWE could soon embark on large-scale NERICA rice production, amid indications by Japanese experts that they are willing to work with Agric4She patron Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in making this possible and enhance the country’s food security, empower women and reduce the need to import the cereal.
NERICA, new rice for Africa, has been developed through crossing African rice species – resistant to disease and drought – and Asian rice species-high yield potential, with the assistance from Japan.
Dr Mnangagwa held separate meetings with Mr Tatsushi Tsuboi, an expert in rice production for Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Mr Akutsu Kentaro, the JICA senior director in charge of cooperation with Southern African Countries, Mr Amameishi Shinjiro, the deputy director-general and group director for agricultural and rural development during which she made a humble request for the NERICA rice production initiatives.
JICA senior vice president Mrs Imoto Sachiko also attended the meeting.
This comes as the First Lady also held a high-level one-on-one meeting with the chairperson of the Japanese Comprehensive Research Commission (JCRC) on the establishment of disaster resilience and former secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, Mr Toshihiro Nikai.
Japan has vast experience fighting natural disasters, unlike Zimbabwe which experiences these sporadically, hence the First Lady’s appeal for Zimbabwe to be assisted with technical expertise in disaster management, equipment and training.
The meetings were held on the sidelines of the ongoing Asia Pacific Africa Women’s Economic Exchange Summit which seeks to secure the food self-sufficiency for the future of children.
Already, Amai Mnangagwa is working with women countrywide whom she is giving inputs to increase their agricultural productivity and improve livelihoods.
The First Lady said if the rice production partnership sails through, it will empower women through allowing for income generation and improved nutrition within households.
There is potential to export if the project succeeds and is being held at a large-scale, hence contributing to economic development.
The mother of the nation acknowledged the cordial relations that exist between Zimbabwe and Japan and the role played by JICA.
“JICA has been playing a big role in Zimbabwe promoting the bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and japan through administering the latest official development programmes in Zimbabwe.
“Over the past few years a lot of Zimbabwean nationals have received some scholarships from Japan and most of our students have learnt high technology which we mostly like in our country.
“Human capital development is critical in empowering our citizens as it complements the government’s efforts towards the realisation of vision 2030 of becoming an upper middle income country.
“However, my gentle request is for Jica to provide more support for the agricultural sector through provision of irrigation equipment and preservation equipment for food storage as well as training programmes.
“The moment we get the equipment, there will be need for training of our farmers on how to use the equipment. Another humble request is for meteorological equipment because now we are in this climate change and that prepares us and also farmers will know how the weather is going to be and the rainfall pattern,” she said.
The First Lady chronicled the disaster Zimbabwe experienced in 2019 as a result of Cyclone Idai which hit the Eastern Highlands of the country and leaving in its wake a trail of destruction and loss of lives.
“In 2019 we experienced disaster in the Eastern highlands of our country where our people were washed away. Our domestic animals were killed, houses destroyed. Big stones rolled and crushed our people.
“And we have quite a number of people that we couldn’t account for after they were swept away. We have experienced some tremors in some of the highlands and that opened our eyes that we are now witnessing disasters caused by climate change.
“So if the meteorological department has new technology and training, we will have specific rainfall pattern in our country and that will alert our farmers,” she said.
She also called for assistance in the health sector.
“Another request for support is in the health sector, particularly for the establishment of a plant to manufacture medicines in Zimbabwe to provide affordable drugs to many because when we get medicines from other countries, that means we have to pay more and when it goes to our communities it will be more expensive so they will not be able to get the medicines,” she said.
In response, Mr Kentaro promised to look into the areas the First Lady had highlighted.
“It was an honour to receive the First Lady at JICA headquarters. She mentioned the expectation for the Japanese cooperation especially in agriculture, the health sector and education.
“We would like to focus on the areas she highlighted especially agriculture where we have existing cooperation in the field of horticulture development in Zimbabwe. The First Lady asked us to expand the cooperation and work with her office and the women of Zimbabwe in rice production.
“JICA has an office in Harare which will have further discussions with the office of the First Lady in finding the way forward,” he said.
This dovetailed with the response of Mr Shinjiro who said; “JICA is putting priority on rice development because Japan is a rice producing country and demand of rice is increasing in Africa.
“We started the initiative focusing on rice called Coalition for Africa Rice Development aimed at doubling rice production in Africa, but in Zimbabwe there was no cooperation in NERICA rice production. We are willing to address the requests made by the First Lady through our Harare office.”
In an earlier engagement, Mr Tsuboi made a presentation to First Ladies highlighting that he was working with many African countries in the rice production.
On the countries he mentioned, Zimbabwe was not included, prompting Dr Mnangagwa, as Agric4She patron to request that the country be also included.
“We also want the rice production that you are spearheading in other African countries. When I was going through the notes I didn’t see Zimbabwe in this project so I request if possible for you to extend this rice production to my country. We have women who work so hard and they constitute 52 percent of the country’s population. If I take this to women, I know we will reap a lot and bring results. It also brings empowerment to our women and helps develop the whole country,” she said.
Mr Tsuboi said he had visited Zimbabwe many times and had no challenges in providing expertise to ensure farms in the country ventured into rice production.
“I have been to Zimbabwe several times and found out that there are many big farms producing maize, but not rice. Maybe we can introduce NERICA rice in Zimbabwe and remove the need to import rice,” he said.
In the meeting with Mr Nikai, the First Lady expressed appreciation for the assistance Zimbabwe received during the Covid-19 era.
She conveyed greetings to him from President Mnangagwa.
She further notified him that through her Angel of Hope Foundation, she built a hospital in Harare that was nearing completion called Mother and Child hospital.
She humbly requested for equipment for the hospital for the benefit of women and children.
Dr Mnangagwa notified her host of the availability of land to set up an emergency disaster centre if they so wish.
She said Zimbabwe had many lessons to draw from Japan in terms of disaster management since it has experienced a lot of these.
“We also see that Japan has experienced a lot of natural disasters such as floods, tsunamis, tornadoes and earthquakes and us as Zimbabwe can learn a lot from Japan. We can draw lessons on natural disaster management,” she said.
The First Lady said there was also need for Zimbabwean doctors to be trained in disaster management.
“As First Lady, I advocate and bring awareness in disaster prevention and management in our country,” she said.
She acknowledged cordial relations existing between Zimbabwe and Japan and praised the support the country has been receiving from the latter.
“We welcome the critical support that Japan has been extending to Zimbabwe through humanitarian assistance and technical cooperation to support Government programmes in various sectors, including agriculture, education, finance, environment and transport,” she said.
In response, Mr Nikai said he would try his best to help in the areas highlighted.
He said he was happy to interact with the First Lady and asked for her written remarks so that they could assess where to assist.
He showed willingness to assist Zimbabwe.
“I will do my best. Since you came all the way, flew like 17 hours, I want you to have a fruitful outcome from this summit. May I please have written remarks so that I go through them and find were I will come in. I will try my best to assist,” said Mr Nikai through an interpreter.
Online Reporter