‘Zim on way to reclaim Africa breadbasket status’

Zimbabwe is on its way to reclaim its position as the “Breadbasket of Africa, Ghanaian businessman Thomas Abanga has said, given the country has requisite expertise and human capital to transform its agriculture.

Mr Abanga, the founder of diversified Ghanaian business entity Abanga Group, said the country has previously been recognised as a key agricultural player within Southern Africa, earning itself the title of the “Bread Basket of Africa”.

With some of the most fertile lands on the continent, Zimbabwe exported wheat, tobacco, and corn to the rest of the continent and beyond.

Apart from fertile soils, the country possesses other favourable natural attributes to support thriving agriculture such as a good climat, developed irrigation systems, expansive arable land and numerous man-made and natural water bodies.

Zimbabwe is already retracing its agricultural exceptional achievements of yesteryear and has over the past few years been following record-breaking harvests for key crops including maize, wheat and tobacco.

Mr Abanga was speaking at the 2023 Buyers Seminar organised by ZimTrade in Harare yesterday.

Dubbed “Exporting into the Future”, the seminar dovetails into the aspirations of Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 of becoming a prosperous and empowered upper-middle income. Its main aim is to expose Zimbabwean producers currently export to different markets across the globe, which helps to boost the country’s mineral-dominated trade position.

“This country, in the earlier days, was the bread basket of Africa and I believe that it’s coming back. I see that there is a great opportunity in Zimbabwe and we need to leverage on that

“So, it is clear that this country has huge expertise and the human capital to boost the agricultural sector.

“In Africa, right here, West Africa and SADC (Southern African Development Community), we need to start doing business amongst ourselves and I do not think there is a need to actually go outside the continent of Africa to do (some of the) business,”

“There is the need for opportunities to open up and we are already open to doing business with Zimbabwe.

“ I think the only way we can move this African economy is through the private sector like what we are trying to do at this seminar,” Mr Abanga said.

The Abanga group is a Ghanaian agri-business conglomerate that operates across the sector’s entire value chain providing cost-effective solutions to crop farmers through cutting-edge technology in the form of farm tractors, planters, combine harvesters, spraying machines as well as formulation of fish feed and fertiliser production.

The group is also into the production of different crops including rice, maize, soya beans and cashews as well as dealing in the importation of meat products, wines, spirits and beers.

It also operates Abanga Foods Ltd, a retail and wholesale company responsible for the distribution of food imports and other agricultural commodities that are marketed and distributed across Ghana and the rest of West Africa.

ZimTrade chief executive officer, Allan Majuru said Zimbabwe had massive potential when it comes to exporting and there is a need to cement that potential.

He also said there was need for Zimbabwe to prioritise and promote strategic imports given that trade is reciprocal.

“The idea is primarily to promote exports, but we also need to make sure that we also promote strategic imports because trade is two ways,” he said.

The national trade development and promotion body earlier this year managed to organise two outward seller missions to the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Lubumbashi and Kolwezi.

Modernising farming techniques, improving irrigation systems, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices will enhance productivity and reduce reliance on erratic rainfall patterns remains crucial for Zimbabwe for significant progress to be realised in the agricultural sector.

Additionally, investing in research and development, providing access to credit, and supporting training programs for farmers will foster innovation and improve agricultural output.

-herald