Masvingo Bureau

MORE than 250 fishing cooperatives have been registered in Masvingo with Government and development agencies collaborating to empower households.

Provincial head in the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Mr Joseph Mupinga, said the registration of fishing cooperatives was done after training of members. 

The initiative is also meant to boost nutrition while improving households income.

“We are working with development partners such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and we have so far registered more than 250 fishing cooperatives after training members on how to run cooperatives,” said Mr Mupinga.

He said districts that have so far benefited are Zaka, Chivi and Masvingo while the programme had just started in Chiredzi, Bikita and Gutu.

Agriculture is one of the key economic sectors in Zimbabwe and smallholder farmers play a pivotal role in fish farming, crop production and livestock production. 

Masvingo province has a suitable climate for fish farming, especially in districts like Zaka, Chivi and Gutu.

According to FAO, Zimbabwe has become one of the top fish-farming countries in Sub-Saharan Africa despite being a landlocked country. 

Fish farming promotes youth and women empowerment by providing them with invaluable skills that can allow them to not only secure self-employment but guarantee regular income.

World Food Programme estimates that about 1,5 million Zimbabweans or 18 percent of the population is food-insecure hence the importance of projects such as fish farming.