AS Zimbabwe reaps fruits of the country’s economic development under the Second Republic which opened the country to investors, President Mnangagwa says the primary beneficiaries of the rebounding economy must be Zimbabweans.

This comes as Nespresso, an operating unit of Switzerland-based Nestle Group,  partnered TechnoServe to revive the country’s coffee production with results now manifesting in coffee production areas such as Honde Valley.

Under the programme, dubbed Nespresso AAA Programme, hundreds of local farmers have been engaged to help revive coffee production which at one point in time used to earn Zimbabweans millions.

Commenting on the partnership, President Mnangagwa said he is delighted to see locals being included in the coffee production chain.

“Zimbabwe is open to the world for business, but Zimbabwean citizens should be the first to benefit from our economic growth.

“I’m delighted to see that Zimbabwean farmers are partnering with Nespresso to revive our nation’s coffee industry. This is only the beginning,” he said.

AAA programme is a long-term partnership programme in which the Nestle unit has partnered with more than 2 000 farmers through the Reviving Origins programme to educate local farmers on sustainable farming practices.

At its peak, Zimbabwe used to be the second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, but over the years output declined as farmers felt shortchanged by side-marketers.

In the 1980s, the coffee sector employed over 20 000 people and contributed an estimated 2,1 percent of the Gross Domestic Product.

But turning around the country’s agriculture sector Government recently approved the Horticulture Recovery and Growth Plan to promote the intensive growth of fruits, vegetables, and other horticultural products to spearhead the country’s agricultural recovery through competitive exports and increased productivity.

The country aims to achieve a US$8,2 billion agriculture economy by 2025.

In a video post on YouTube, Midway Bhuma, the Coffee Programmes Manager AAA Programme in Zimbabwe said farmers have started to reap big from the revived coffee production.

“Coffee production in Zimbabwe declined due to prolonged periods of economic stability and droughts.

“We have seen so many changes since the Nespresso AAA Programme has been implemented in this country. Together we are developing the skills of the farmers to grow coffee sustainably.

“The share of high-quality coffee delivered by farmers has more than doubled. Farmers are doubling or even tripling their coffee income. They use their money to build better homes, send their children to school, and buy necessary supplies for their families and their farms.

“Through the AAA agronomy programme TechnoServe teaches farmers everything they need to know about sustainable coffee farming and processing,” he said.

When President Mnangagwa took over power in 2017, the country experienced a foreign policy evolution from a predominantly political to an economic oriented one by boldly declaring “Zimbabwe is Open for Business”.

The President undertook numerous business trips around the globe whose mission was to engage with and assure both political and business leaders and partners that Zimbabwe had turned the corner.

He declared that his term in office will be dedicated to forging strong open business alliances with nations, corporations, and individuals alike, who display honest zeal to invest in Zimbabwe, with no political strings attached and this has seen investors from across the world teeming to the country.