China pledges more support for Zimbabwe

CHINA will continue to add new dimensions to its comprehensive strategic partnership and cooperation with Zimbabwe to assist the latter achieve its targets under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and Vision 2030, a senior official said.

The NDS 1 is the first of two five-year national development plans towards Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, of an empowered upper middle-income society envisaged.

Under the first five-year development agenda running, the areas of focus include economic growth and stability, food and nutrition security, governance, human capital development, environmental protection, housing delivery, digital economy, health, infrastructure development, international engagement and re-engagement drive, social protection and devolution.

NDS1 will be superseded by NDS 2, which will run from 2026 through 2030.

Speaking at the launch ceremony of the Zvimba Farmers’ Cooperative Club in Mashonaland West Province last week, the guest of honour, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding, said the friendship between the two countries had remained as strong as ever.

He said the China-Zimbabwe cooperation had always followed the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith with concrete actions as well as the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation.

“China has always focused on addressing Zimbabwe’s real and urgent needs and promoting Zimbabwe’s sustainable development.

“Our traditional friendship is unbreakable. In the future, China will continue to add new dimensions to our comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation, to support Zimbabwe in achieving its NDS 1 as well as Vision 2030,” he said.

The ceremony also several farmers from Murombedzi in Zvimba District receiving a donation of indigenous chickens that are at the point of lay from the Chinese Embassy while Raymeg Consultants Private Limited, a corporate member of the Zimbabwe Commercial Rabbit Breeders Association, donated rabbits to 10 farmers.

As has been noted by President Mnangagwa, agriculture remains the cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s economy, Amb Zhou said, and given his country was an all-weather friend of Zimbabwe’s, always supported agricultural development and food security in Zimbabwe through various forms.

“Firstly, China is committed to supporting Zimbabwe to improve agricultural infrastructure.

“China has completed more than 1 000 boreholes across the country in recent years, providing access to clean drinking water for more than 400 000 people.

“In the next two years, China will drill an additional 300 boreholes in Zimbabwe.

“China has also built the Valley Dam and irrigation projects for Zimbabwe, which have promoted local agricultural production,” he said.

In this context, Amb Zhou said Asian country remains committed to strengthening agricultural investment and cooperation with Zimbabwe to promote the achievement of sustainable development locally.

Over the years, and buttressed by the Second Republic’s re-engagement and engagement drive with the international community and as espoused in the “Zimbabwe is open for business” policy thrust, several Chinese firms are operating in different sectors of the country’s economy including agriculture, mining and manufacturing have set up shop in the country.

Such projects include the US$1,5 billion Dinson Iron and Steel Company’s steel manufacturing project, which is expected to start production soon.

In the agriculture sector, notable firms such as Tian Ze Tobacco Company have established operations in Zimbabwe carrying out contract farming arrangements and exporting over US$700 million worth of tobacco annually to that Asian country.

“China is committed to strengthening agricultural investment and cooperation with Zimbabwe.

“Chinese companies kept entering the agricultural sector in Zimbabwe. China’s Tian Ze Tobacco Company has been carrying out contract farming and exporting more than US$700 million tobacco to China annually,” he said

Presently, China is Zimbabwe’s largest buyer of the golden leaf.

“Wanjin Agricultural Development Company, has long been dedicated to the agricultural sector in Mashonaland West and China also imports huge amounts of macadamia nuts and fresh citrus from Zimbabwe and is negotiating the agreement on importing avocados from Zimbabwe,” he said.

Following the El Nino-induced drought that has hit Zimbabwe and other countries in southern Africa, Amb Ding said China has provided the country with two batches of emergency food assistance valued at around US$6 million in the past 12 months.

And over the past 20 years, he said China has delivered over 10 shipments of food assistance supplies to Zimbabwe.

“The food assistance has supported Zimbabwe in addressing its pressing needs and sparing millions of people from the threat of food shortages.

“China is committed to carrying out technology transfer.

“The China-aid Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centre in Zimbabwe has been established and engaged in technical training in agriculture, and cultivation of agricultural experimental fields, with a view to push for agricultural modernisation in Zimbabwe.

“China has sent six groups of Chinese agricultural experts to Zimbabwe since 2009 to provide agricultural technical assistance,” said Amb Zhou.

He noted that the China-Zimbabwe Agricultural Cooperation and Poverty Reduction Demonstration Village in Mashonaland West Province was set up in 2019 to share China’s experiences in poverty alleviation.

The 6th Chinese Agricultural Expert Group to Zimbabwe was deployed in the country last September and has travelled frequently between Harare and Zvimba to rehabilitate the Demonstration Village.

The agricultural experts have supplied equipment for a solar powered water system that presently meets daily drinking and irrigation needs of more than 300 households in the Zvimba community.

“They restored the Poultry Hatchery Centre, which is now capable of incubating more than 6 000 eggs at one time.

“They proposed to establish the Zvimba Farmers’ Cooperative Club which will run the demonstration village to ensure its sustainable development.

“While maintaining the Zvimba Demonstration Village, the group is building another demonstration village in Shamva District, Mashonaland Central Province.”

In the next three years, the expert group is expected to share their expertise of new farming technology with Zimbabwean farmers by offering training classes. Speaking at the same occasion, Mashonaland West Minister for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Marian Chombo, said the Government had crafted Vision 2030 and NDS 1, to leave no one and no place behind in the national development agenda.

“The efforts of every ministry and everyone including our development partners will contribute towards the achievement of this vision.

“The projects here fit well into this vision through fulfilling the targets outlined in the Presidential Poultry and Rural Development Programme,” she said.

Under the Presidential Rural Development programme, the Government aims to drill at least one borehole per every village and the target is to achieve 35 000 boreholes by next year.

“Also, in each of these villages, we target to develop market gardening, fisheries, fruit tree and poultry production projects.

“I am very glad that the Chinese Government has joined hands with us and solarised one borehole and developed the piped water scheme in Chirimanyemba village.

“This brings safe drinking water to the community thereby curbing spread of water-borne diseases such as cholera which has proved to be a menace.

“With the provision of water, I urge the community here to develop nutrition gardens and make use of vegetable seeds distributed under the government programs, so as to be able to feed their families as well as have extra income from the sale of these vegetables,” she said.

“As part of this support, we are also going to receive rabbits and indigenous chickens.

“I am reliably informed that most of the beneficiaries were women, youths and vulnerable groups within our societies.

“Through utilisation of the skills you got during the training, definitely you are going to reap more benefits and income.

“Once you have a lot of these birds produced organically you will find lucrative markets for the poultry meat.”

Minister Chombo noted that Mashonaland West Province is best known for cereal and cash crops production, but the province is also equally good in livestock production.

She said the province produces more than 1,7 million birds under contract poultry producers.

“The operationalisation of the hatchery at this training centre is a very welcome development as it will help in meeting chick demand by our farmers.

“We expect to get 75 600 indigenous chicks per year from the hatchery.

“Indigenous poultry is healthy, tasty and it compares to none hence all homesteads need to take this business seriously,” she said.

Minister Chombo challenged villagers in Zvimba District to embark on value addition to create employment locally.

“I urge you to construct an abattoir for both rabbits and poultry,” said Minister Chombo.

-herald