Online Reporter
Edgar Vhera-Specialist Writer – Agribusiness
GOVERNMENT’S Village Business Unit initiative under the rural development 8.0 mantra is the doctor’s prescription of a health retirement plan for civil servants to actualise their skills and knowledge dataset in agriculture.
This was said by Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Agricultural Rural Development Advisory Services chief director, Mrs Medlinah Mangwenzi yesterday on the closing day of the third edition of the Public Service Commission Retirement Conference in Mutare.
VBUs are registered rural development enterprises meant to boost economic activity and improve livelihoods in rural communities.
“Civil servants are everywhere in the country and between 60 to 90 percent are into farming.
“We call upon the retirees to increase their commitment to commercial agriculture production on their plots, farms and villages,” she said.
Mrs Magwenzi said retirement used to be costly, but was now an asset because of the VBU initiative.
“We want five to 10 retirees to come together and form a civil service joint VBU that will reduce financing costs and increase skills and knowledge.
“These VBUs are now extending into drought-mitigation centres in view of the forecasted El Nino drought and will provide feed, water and output,” she said.
Mrs Magwenzi called on retirees to use readily available resources and identify their line of action in the VBUs.
“Take your knowledge, skills and package them as consultants, or better still sale a mentor or trainer.
“VBUs present a cocktail of enterprises that one can tap into and execute to become prosperous,” she added.
The Rural Development 8.0 is a collective of outcome-based Presidential interventions in the agriculture sector to boost rural development through industrialisation.
This is meant to catalyse economic development for attainment of a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society.
VBUs are being rolled out in a whole of a Government Approach to establish 35 000 one-hectare self-sustaining units powered by solar-driven boreholes to support horticulture development in the rural communities.
ARDA oversees the agronomy and business management side of the value chain while the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) and department of irrigation are responsible for infrastructure development. The is responsible for funding.
AMA is mandated with marketing of produce while the Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) is seized with training and extension activities.
