Mthabisi Tshuma in Gwanda
AT least 20 Zimbabwean farmers will attend agricultural training seminars in China later this year under a capacity building programme being facilitated by the Chinese Friendship Partnership Association.

Four seminars have been lined up for Zimbabwean farmers and other African states from July to September this year. The process to select representative participants is already underway with each of the four seminars set to be attended by five Zimbabwean farmers.

Matabeleland regional programme coordinator, Mr Remond Mauba said the mutual relations with China have given birth to such initiatives, which seek to develop the agricultural sector.

“This is a development that our Chinese friends have extended after conducting a successful programme in 2017, which was attended by representatives from all over the continent,” he said.

“With the new dispensation that saw President Mnangagwa secure billions of investments from China, youths should stand up and register with the association in order to attend training courses in China.”

Two rural farmers Ntuseng Moyo (37) from Garanyemba village and 20-year-old Keabesto Maphosa from Sengezane Village in the same area have been selected to attend the first training seminar in China as representatives from Matabeleland region.

Mr Mauba said the training courses were sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and organised by Yunnan International Centre for Economic and Technical Exchanges that have a bias towards reviving the agricultural sector.

“The courses are very educative and will help a lot in reviving the once flourishing agricultural sector in the country. Extensive research on all the agricultural products is being done and through this, new forms of knowledge to increase the agricultural market is made. A lot of horticulture products that can play a part in the economy are in abundance but are not being exploited,” he said.

Mr Mauba was part of the delegation that attended the 2017 training course on cultivation technology of economic crops for developing countries. The course led to the formation of the Remond Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Raradi), which operates from Garanyemba in Gwanda District.

The seminars focus on topics such as; agricultural technological innovation and management for countries under the Belt and Road Initiative, sustainable agricultural development and smart models, agricultural products and food safety management for developing countries as well as fruit processing and comprehensive utilisation for developing countries. All the expenses for the trip except visa applications are catered for by the Chinese organisation.

The courses are set to increase the food security of the country and develop strategies towards increasing efficiency on the agricultural and horticulture production nationwide. After the seminars, Yunnan International Centre for Economic and Technical Exchanges keeps in contact with the participants on how best they can develop agricultural cooperation with China in the future.

@mthabisi_mthire