The Sunday Mail
Theseus Shambare
Zimbabwe is presently witnessing a revolution in agriculture that is characterised by accelerated growth and heightened interest in farming, particularly from the youth.
The sector has already surpassed the initial target to grow to US$8,2 billion by 2025.
Behind this revolution is a team of youthful bureaucrats deployed to strategic positions within the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and its various parastatals.
Dr John Basera was recently named the best-performing Permanent Secretary at the 2022 Government Performance Evaluation Awards, which were presided over by President Mnangagwa.
Mr Mhiko
Dr Basera is leading a team of other youthful agriculture experts in charge of various parastatals.
TIMB
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board, for example, is helmed by 38-year-old Mr Emmanuel Matsvaire.
He was appointed chief operating officer in April 2022, before becoming acting chief executive officer in August the same year.
He has been instrumental in facilitating growth strategies for the tobacco subsector, including ensuring orderly marketing, compliance and analysis of future threats at the national and global levels.
He is the man behind the successful execution of the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan, which is geared to deliver enhanced productivity, market development, value addition and beneficiation in the tobacco industry.
Mr Matsvaire has also been instrumental in coordinating the hosting of the first World Tobacco Day later this year.
But most crucially, under his watch, farmers are receiving payment within 48 hours of delivering their crop.
ARDA
The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA), which is also a parastatal under the ministry’s purview, is led by 37-year-old Mr Tinotenda Mhiko.
As an agricultural industrialist and turnaround strategist with management experience and expertise in the entire agricultural value chain spanning primary production to processing, distribution and regulation of final processed agricultural products, Mr Mhiko has led ARDA for two years, part of which he served as acting chief executive officer.
During that period, ARDA has undergone robust transformation after years of waning fortunes.
He is the youngest chief executive of the parastatal since independence.
He has placed ARDA on a recovery path and growth trajectory, driving its new mandate as a vehicle for rural development and industrialisation in pursuit of national food, feed, fibre, biofuels and seed security.
Last year, ARDA established a total of 14 018 hectares of winter wheat across the country, up from 5 316 hectares in 2021, representing a 263 percent growth. As a result, it harvested over 60 000 tonnes of wheat, about 20 percent of the national wheat haul.
This year, ARDA is set to harvest between 100 000 tonnes and 142 000 tonnes of grain, which is a 10 percent contribution to the revised National Strategic Grain Reserve requirements of 1,5 million tonnes.
ARDA Seeds was also restructured, while seed multiplication of climate-resilient varieties and other cereal crops was scaled up, with the parastatal producing over 3 000 tonnes of various seeds annually.
Currently, ARDA Estates have 19 036 hectares under various crops, which include maize, sunflower, sorghum, cotton, sugarcane, avocados, tea, macadamia, pecan nuts, beef and dairy livestock.
“When I took over in 2021, I immediately resuscitated 13 idle ARDA estates and all of them are now up and running, and to date, we have developed irrigation infrastructure for over 1 000 hectares,” he said in an interview.
“We are currently mobilising funds to unlock an additional 10 000 hectares of irrigable land, which will translate to an additional 170 000 tonnes of grain annually and an additional 11,3 percent contribution to the National Strategic Grain Reserve requirements.”
Tobacco Research Board
Dr Frank Magama, the chief executive officer of the Tobacco Research Board (TRB), is only 43 years old.
Traditionally, TRB has been known for flue-cured tobacco research. However, the parastatal’s mandate has undergone transformation in recent years.
It is expected to evolve into a high-tech research hub for all crops, rather than exclusively dealing in tobacco.
“My strategic focus is not only fixed on tobacco research but also alternative crops to tobacco and alternate uses of tobacco. Regarding alternatives, we will introduce new and profitable crops such as hemp, chia and stevia in tobacco enterprises,” he said.
“When it comes to alternates, we are focusing on using tobacco crops as bio factories for the production and extraction of high-value medical, pharmaceutical and industrial compounds. TRB is to become an innovation and technology centre for agricultural profitability and development.”
TRB’s Irish potato seed production programme contributes massively towards the Potato Value Chain Financing Facility launched by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
This facility is an import-substitution intervention aimed at boosting productivity and profitability in the potato value chain, as well as expanding starch options for the country.
“Of major successes, TRB’s Kutsaga station has completed a state-of-the-art tissue culture facility and greenhouses for the production and supply of elite, disease-free seed potato tubers to potato growers in this scheme.
“In addition to seed potato, the facilities also produce other horticultural planting materials in support of Zimbabwe’s Horticulture Recovery and Growth Plan. All these projects will directly contribute to the ministry’s strategy of transforming Zimbabwe’s agriculture to accelerate the attainment of Vision 2030 through the implementation of NDS 1 (National Development Strategy 1),” said Dr Magama.
The Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan has set in motion activities that will ensure that, for as long as its production is internationally acceptable, tobacco remains a strategic foreign currency earner for the country. The plan also incorporates an agricultural crop diversification plan that allows growers to cultivate commercial food and alternative crops to tobacco.
