Government is expecting the agricultural sector to transform the Zimbabwean economy as the country stir up efforts to retain its status as being Africa’s bread basket.
Speaking during the launch of the three online digital agricultural platforms in Harare today, Permanent SecretaryMinistry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Dr John Basera said government was stirring up efforts in ensuring that Zimbabwe retains back its status of being the bread basket of Africa.
He said the launch of the three digital platforms which consists of Zim Agri Hub, Zim Extension In-Service Training and the Online Lead farmer Program was a universally acknowledged development in the agricultural sector as the country tries to cope with the information and technologies for socio economic development in the agricultural sector.
“The government is prioritizing leaving no one behind and the agriculture sector is one of the key precursors to the transformation of the economy. If we get agriculture right then we are on the right track to get everything right. The development thrust focusses on empowering farmers as well as agricultural extension officers. This is in view of the need to keep their skill sets abreast to the dynamic changes in the farming landscape.
“Zimbabwe like any other countries globally, is fully aware of the importance of information and communication technologies for socio-economic development and transformation. Countries that adopt the Internet of things stand a chance to leapfrog and overtake the developments made by some countries, particularly in Africa. The road is very clear towards being the bread basket of Africa again,” he said.
Although the government is trying to upgrade the agricultural sector to ensure that the Zimbabwean economy recovers it is worrisome to note that the economy continue to get worse as seen by the current fluctuations of the black market exchange rates as well as the price increase of basic commodities.
However according to the World Bank recent Zimbabwe Economic Update, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in Zimbabwe is projected to reach 3.9 percent in 2021, a significant improvement after a two-year recession.
Moreso, the IMF expects the economy to expand “by about 6%” this year, it said recently at the end of a two-week virtual staff visit.
The forecast compares with a prior prediction of 3.1% growth and is closer to the projection by the southern African nation’s Treasury that gross domestic product will increase by 7.4% this year.
Zimbabwe was the bread basket of Africa supplying Africa and some of the European countries with agricultural products, however the land reform programme which began in 1998 up to 2002 saw white settlers losing land and this negatively affected Zimbabwean economy.
