High-level Zimbabwean delegation in Benin for Export Agriculture on Food Security Initiative
A high-level Zimbabwean delegation will undertake a benchmarking visit to Benin’s Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) from 11 to 16 May 2025 under the Export Agriculture on Food Security Initiative, recognising the need for practical insights and successful models.
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, in collaboration with ARISE and the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank), is driving transformative projects under the Export Agriculture on Food Security Initiative (EAFSI), aimed at enhancing food security and increasing agricultural exports.
Central to these efforts is the Gokwe Cotton Seed Processing Project, which seeks to integrate cotton, sunflower, and soya bean value chains to meet the required 500 metric tonnes/day processing capacity.
The high-level Zimbabwean delegation, led by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister Vangelis Haritatos, comprises Ministry officials as well as officials from the Mutapa Investment Fund, Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco), Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA), Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion.
In a concept note, the Ministry said: “This visit is critical for informing the implementation of Zimbabwe’s industrial agricultural projects. GDIZ, successfully developed by ARISE and supported by Afreximbank, represents a proven model of agro-industrial transformation through strong government facilitation and strategic partnerships.”
“By engaging with GDIZ management and key Beninese Ministries, the delegation aims to extract practical lessons on operational efficiency, stakeholder coordination, and private sector engagement.”
It said these learnings will be instrumental in shaping Zimbabwe’s cotton and oilseed processing strategies, ensuring sustainability and scalability.
The visit is said to also open avenues for cross-country collaboration, enabling Zimbabwe to align its agricultural ambitions with tested models, reduce implementation risks, and accelerate impact under EAFSI.
The Ministry said the bold thrust of the initiative (EAFSI) was to improve food security and increase agricultural exports.
“Projects earmarked and being pursued under this initiative include the Gokwe cotton seed processing project, Beef Value Chain Project, Village Business Units, and Development of Africa Trade and Distribution Company,” read part of the concept note.
“The project targets components such as supporting cotton production and other oil seeds (sunflower and soya bean) to augment cotton. This will be done through provision of inputs in contract farming arrangements.”
The Ministry said the project also targets oilseed processing, with the initial arrangement to process cotton, but the required throughput initially submitted by Cottco was not enough, and other oil seeds were added to the project (sunflower and soya bean).
Based on the nation’s production capacity, it is said that with cotton alone, a 500 metric tonnes/day throughput will be reached in year seven of operation, while with the integration of sunflower to augment cotton, 500 metric tonnes/day throughput will be attained in year six.
The Ministry said: “The integration of soya bean to cotton and sunflower, 500MT/day throughput will be achieved in year one. It is recommended that integration of sunflower and soya bean to attain the expected throughput of 500 metric tonnes/day is critical. A gradual weaning will follow this from soya bean to cotton and sunflower.”
Agriculture is one of the backbones of Zimbabwe’s economy, providing a significant portion of employment, raw materials for industry, and export earnings.-herald
