Elita Chikwati Senior Agriculture Reporter

President Mnangagwa will next week launch the Agricultural Rural Development Authority (Arda) Vision 2030 accelerator model programme at Bubi Lupane Irrigation Scheme meant to stimulate rural industrialisation through agricultural development.

This follows the launch last year of the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), the country’s five-year economic blueprint that adopted and implemented bold strategies, policies and programmes aimed at achieving economic transformation by 2030.

It also comes as the Government is implementing the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy, which seeks to achieve a US$8,2 billion agriculture economy by 2025 and which also anchors and propels Zimbabwe towards Vision 2030 to become an upper-middle-class economy.

The last agricultural season was another game-changer as Government interventions such as the Pfumvudza farming concept, farm mechanisation and modernisation saw the country achieving a bumper harvest that will ensure the country will not import food this year.

Climate-proofing the country’s agricultural sector, the Second Republic is constructing dams in all provinces with the Arda Vision 2030 accelerator model set to be a pacesetter in rural areas.

Under the model, each district across the country will have 200 hectares under irrigation with the beneficiaries being local community members.

The programme will be replicated across all 450 Arda irrigation schemes to spur the growth needed in the smallholder sector and boost rural development.

Arda chief executive, Mr Tino Mhiko yesterday said the parastatal will be running irrigation projects as business units under the management of resident Arda scheme business managers.

Mr Mhiko said the model will see farmers being trained to adopt the best farm management practices.

“Farmers are the shareholders and get dividends once Arda harvests and markets the produce. Arda facilitates transformative linkages for funding and marketing of produce — produced at these rural irrigation schemes.

“The parastatal is also decentralising value addition by setting up mini-processing plants across all provinces and this is part of our rural industrialisation agenda,” he said.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Anxious Masuka said the model will leapfrog rural development and industrialisation for the attainment of Vision 2030.

“Arda will be spearheading the establishment of new agricultural rural development projects. Arda will become a vehicle for national food, feed and fibre security producing at least 500 000 tonnes of cereals and 50 000 tonnes of fibre annually.

“They (Arda) are already involved with a joint venture partner that avails at least 20 percent of the ethanol blending requirements for the nation,” he said.

Minister Masuka said Arda was instrumental in facilitating farmer training.

“Arda must be a vehicle for best management practice, facilitating learning opportunities for A2 farmers as we seek transformation for A2 farmers from ordinary farmers to become entrepreneurs and businessmen and women. A1 farmer should transform farmers from just A1 farmers to become successful SMEs,” he said.

Arda is mandated to ensure that the entire 88 000 hectares of potential arable land out of 142 000 hectares under its wing is fully utilised instead of the current 13 000 hectares within the next three years.