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(HERALD) Govt seeks to revive horticultural sector

Govt seeks to revive horticultural sector
New Ziana.

The Government is drawing up a revival plan for the horticulture sector that has registered a sharp decline in productivity in the last decade due to various challenges. Agriculture Minister Joseph Made said the plan was part of efforts by Government to boost productivity in the lucrative sector.

He said the ministry would continue to support the sector through promoting joint ventures, public private partnerships (PPPs), lines of credit, mechanisation and development of policies that are conducive to production.

Dr Made, who was addressing participants at a one-day stakeholder meeting on strategies to revive the horticultural industry, disclosed that Government was also crafting a new agriculture strategy.

He said the strategy was envisaged to boost production and ensure the country realised food self-sufficiency and foreign currency through exports.

The workshop, jointly organised by the Horticultural Promotion Council, Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe and the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), ran under the theme "Renaissance of the horticultural sector in Zimbabwe."

Dr Made said new players should enter into the sector especially smallholder farmers who he said should be supported through partnerships with established players or by external investors. CFC managing director Ali Muchumo said Government and the horticultural sector should collaborate to come up with an effective revival strategy.

"It should be a sector plan and not a Government plan," he said.

The CFC is an autonomous inter-governmental development financing institution established within the framework of the United Nations. It has a total of 107 signatory member states. — New Ziana.

Labels: HORTICULTURE, JOSEPH MADE, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 4:39 PM