GZU pushes rural industrialisation

Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) is pushing rural industrialisation through a climate-proofing approach via its Innovation hub which is promoting the cultivation of traditional grains that are drought-resistant and the rearing of local and traditional poultry breeds.

Through the programme, GZU will contract the farmers, provide the seed chicks for poultry, buy the chickens at weeks 16-20 and provide another batch of seed chicks.

With traditional grains, they buy all the grain with respect to finger millet, pearl millet and rapoko.

As they are setting up a processing plant in Chivi rural, Buhera Central constituency is very excited to have been honoured to play host to GZU for two days in as many weeks.

Member of Parliament for Buhera Central Sam Matema is pleased with the role that GZU is playing in mitigating the effects of climate change

‘’We are excited as a constituency because this intervention by GZU is in sync with the pronouncement by His Excellency, President Dr ED Mnangagwa, in his State of the Nation Address (SONA, 2023), with respect to Climate change and climate proofing, the role of the private sector, institutions of higher learning in partnering government as we work towards Vision 2030 converging with Agenda 2030.

“The mantra has been ‘leaving no one and no place behind’, and we are happy that we are seeing the mantra in action. We are witnessing and living it as a constituency.

“Agriculture with a deliberate leaning towards traditional grains will extricate many out of poverty. Coupled with Research and Development spearheaded by institutions of higher learning like GZU, smart partnerships and smart agriculture will cause the attainment of a whole range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) either directly or indirectly,” he said.

Gary Magadzire Executive Dean, School of Agriculture and Engineering Dr Xavier Poshiwa said they want to develop innovative products adding that the innovation centre will enable them to improve the growing of crops and livestock rearing.

‘’We want to create industries in rural areas. We want to promote the production, processing and consumption of traditional grains,’’ he said.-herald