GOVERNMENT has made a clarion call to investors to mobilise financing through innovative, blended mechanisms and introduce transformative technologies for irrigation, mechanisation, post-harvest handling and market linkages.
Speaking at the ambassadors’ interface hosted by the Diplomat Business Networking Club over the weekend in Harare, Agriculture deputy minister Vangelis Haritatos said international partners were crucial in strengthening Zimbabwe’s agricultural infrastructure.
“To our diplomatic allies, your support is indispensable in brokering partnerships that facilitate agricultural knowledge and expertise exchange. We seek your assistance in securing preferential trade arrangements and driving concerted climate action,” Haritatos said.
“To the UN agencies and NGO community, we call upon you to amplify technical programmes in climate-smart agriculture, food security and rural development. Empowering our smallholder farmers with skills development, input subsidies and sustainable livelihood schemes is paramount to building resilience and capacity.”
The Diplomat Business Networking Club is a high profile social and business networking organisation that connects diplomats, senior business executives, policymakers, government officials, civil society, private sector, media and other key stakeholders in a diversified and multi-cultural atmosphere of positive dialogue, goodwill and opportunity.
Haritatos said they had recently unveiled the 2024/25 Crops, Horticulture, Fisheries and Livestock summer plan with an investment of US$1,6 billion, financed by both the government and the private sector.
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“This plan focuses on a diverse array of food and feed crops, reinforcing our commitment to agricultural growth,” he said.
“With collective effort, we can more than double the production of staples such as maize, wheat and soybeans within a decade. Our goal is to increase irrigation coverage nationwide and establish agro-processing clusters across the country, positioning Zimbabwe as Africa’s food basket through mechanised, market-driven agriculture.”
Haritatos said the government was aspiring to triple soybeans and paprika production through climate smart models.
“We aim to cultivate 500 000 additional hectares under irrigation nationwide. To catalyse private investment in irrigation infrastructure, our ministry is launching the Irrigation Development Fund, complementing significant investments in energy and water security, such as the 600MW solar project planned for Lake Kariba.
“Looking ahead, the Irrigation Development Fund launched this year aims to unlock the much-needed private capital for water infrastructure. By de-risking projects focused on machinery, greenhouses and storage, this blended financing model will enable more farmers to boost production through efficient irrigation.”