ZSM to host inaugural lithium conference in Bulawayo

THE Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM) will host a one-day lithium and battery minerals conference in Bulawayo to explore financing and investment opportunities in the sector and the environmental impact associated with lithium mining among other key issues.

The conference set for 1 November will run under the theme “Powering Zimbabwe’s Future “Exploring Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Development in Lithium and Battery Minerals Industry.”

Recently, a battery markets analyst at mining consultancy CRU said Zimbabwe is poised to be the world’s fifth largest primary producer of lithium by 2025 taking advantage of the several massive investments worth almost a combined $1 billion injected in the past two years.

The capital outlay is coming primarily from Chinese companies, many of which are mid or downstream manufacturers to ensure a stable supply of lithium to their operations in China.

According to the school of mines, during the conference, sub-topics to come under the spotlight range from exploration and mining, economic and marketing of the mineral, project financing and investment in the lithium sector and environmental impact of the mining process.

Lithium is one of the most sought-after minerals in the world at the moment as it is used in manufacturing car batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).

The world is witnessing an EVs boom as non-combustion engine vehicles help to promote a cleaner environment by reducing global carbon emissions that have contributed to the scourge of climate change.

Zimbabwe is endowed with this resource, a development which has seen increased investor traffic into the country.

The country is estimated to hold Africa’s largest lithium resources and the fifth largest globally and is rapidly emerging as an important player within the lithium supply chain.

However, lack of technological advancements and a delicate economic base are some of the major stumbling blocks slowing the country’s ability to process raw minerals leading to loss of potential revenue.

Efforts to add value to the resource have been topical and in December last year the Government banned the export of unprocessed lithium to curb smuggling through the country’s porous borders to neighbouring nations including South Africa.

Zimbabwe is targeting to earn at least US$500 million from lithium mining activities as the country moves closer to the set timeline to attain a US$12 billion mining industry.

The country’s revenue from lithium exports is expected to surge as the commodity’s price continues on an upward trend on the global market.-chronicle

Intwasa/ Pfumvudza is the answer! Government rallies farmers to fight climate change
Intwasa/ Pfumvudza is the answer! Government rallies farmers to fight climate change A farmer digs holes to plant maize under the Intwasa/Pfumvudza model

Sikhulekelani Moyo, mskhulekelani16@gmail.com

GOVERNMENT has rallied farmers to scale up the adoption of climate-proofed agriculture approaches such as the Intwasa/Pfumvudza model, the use of early maturing seed varieties and small grains, especially in the drought-prone southern region to guarantee adequate food production amid projections of normal to below normal rains.

These will be complemented by irrigation farming in selected zones, which will ensure the country averts potential food shortages while cutting down imports by producing enough food for its citizens as well as meeting business requirements.

As preparations for the 2023/24 summer cropping season get rolling, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka, has said conservative farming such as Pfumvudza/Intwasa is the answer to producing enough food at household level.

Working closely with private sector partners, he said the Government has come up with a number of measures to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change in the sector, which will deliver good yields to meet national requirements.

The Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has predicted that the country will receive normal to below-normal rainfall this season with the bulk of Matabeleland and Midlands provinces being the most affected.

Zimbabwe enjoys food security after it increased its output in the last three seasons and now looks forward to consolidating the gains achieved so far in line with the National Development Strategy (NDS1), and Vision 2030 targets.

In an interview on the sidelines of the 25th graduation and prize-giving ceremony at Esigodini Agricultural College in Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South on Friday where 76 students graduated with certificates, Dr Masuka said farmers must embrace climate-proofed agriculture at all levels to boost yields and increase the sector’s contribution to national economy.

“The greater part of this season is predicted to have normal to below normal rainfall. So, we said we must consolidate climate-proofing activities at two levels,” he said.

“First, at the household level, we must ensure that all the tenets of sustainable conservation Pfumvudza/Intwasa are adhered to and that each household has done a minimum of three plots by 31 October this year, mulching and organic placement,” said Minister Masuka.

“That must be supplemented by ensuring that all new crops and varieties that are suitable for a particular agro-ecological region are grown. In this region, we encourage sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, groundnuts, roundnuts and other such crops.”

As for farmers who used to produce maize and prefer consuming maize meal, Dr Masuka said the Government has a robust grain swap or exchange programme administered by the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) whereby farmers can exchange small grains for maize.

The grain swap programme was launched by the Government recently and seeks to encourage maize and traditional grains production in appropriate geo-ecological regions.

In order to increase maize production, Minister Masuka said the sector has also increased hectarage under irrigation by identifying institutional and individual farms that will be put under irrigation.

“We have now identified available irrigation land for maize for this coming summer cropping season. We have so far identified 70 000 hectares by individual farmers to supplement the irrigation schemes,” he said.

He said the programme also includes institutional farms, Government farms, all agricultural colleges, all prison

A field prepared for planting under the Intwasa/Pfumvudza model

farms and all Zimbabwe Republic Police farms.

“We are identifying these with potential irrigation so that they can be brought into full production to guarantee the country food security despite the El Nino threat,” said Dr Masuka.

The Second Republic has in the last five years channelled he resources towards revitalising irrigation schemes across the country, a development that has seen irrigation hectarage increasing from about 150 000 to 204 000 hectares.

Already, more than US$600 million has been set aside by the Government for the 2023/24 farming season while the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe has committed $68 billion and US$160 million.

All the 460 irrigation schemes across the country will be put under irrigation during the summer cropping season to complement the Intwasa/Pfumvudza programme, which is aimed at increasing yields in the face of the looming El Nino.

Regions 1, 2, and 3 have a higher probability of receiving normal to below normal rainfall for most of the sub-seasons that make the period October 2023 to March 2024.

The bulk of Matabeleland North province, parts of Midlands covering Gokwe North and South districts, and parts of Matabeleland South province are expected to receive below-normal to normal rainfall while normal rainfall with a bias towards below-normal rainfall is highly likely for the remaining provinces.

The rainfall is expected to be erratic in space and time, with violent storms, prolonged dry spells, flash floods and tropical cyclones as the season progresses.–chronicle