By Loyd Matare
Agriculture must drive economic growth, historical redress, and climate resilience in Southern Africa, while unlocking trade and investment opportunities across the region.
So says South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who adds that the sector is not only the cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s economy but also a vital tool for addressing colonial-era inequalities and creating sustainable livelihoods.
Speaking during the official opening of the 115th Zimbabwe Agricultural Show at the Harare Exhibition Park yesterday, Ramaphosa praised the event for enduring “political, economic and increasingly ecological” headwinds over its 130-year history.
“This premier event has weathered strong headwinds… a constant feature has been the commitment to use agriculture as a catalyst for economic growth, sustainable development and historical redress,” Ramaphosa told delegates.
This comes as Zimbabwe and South Africa push for deeper collaboration in areas such as irrigation, mechanisation, biosecurity, and climate-smart farming to enhance food security and competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Ramaphosa said:
“Technological trends in agriculture must be fully embraced. Geo-spatial agriculture using earth observation and Artificial Intelligence has started to feature in some sectors of agriculture in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
“Such innovation will be key as we collectively build resilience in pursuit of food security.”
He stressed the importance of biosecurity cooperation, warning that outbreaks of diseases such as foot-and-mouth and avian flu call for joint research and resource-sharing between the two countries.
“We need investment in the provision of seeds, training, irrigation schemes, storage facilities and in agro-processing.
“The development of road, rail and aviation infrastructure is a key catalyst to take agriculture to an even higher level,” he added.
The South African leader also called for increased private-sector investment in small and medium-scale farming enterprises, “particularly those owned and run by women and the youth.”
