Agriculture key to attaining upper middle-income status – Basera

Harare (New Ziana) – Expanding the country’s agricultural production was the most effective way of ensuring Zimbabwe attained its Vision 2030 of an upper middle income economy status, a senior government official has said.

Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary, John Basera said agriculture offered the greatest potential, of any sector, of lifting people from poverty, and transforming their economic fortunes en-masse.

He said no country had ever transformed from a low-income economy to a middle or upper-middle income economy without increasing agricultural production.

“It is in that regard that our government has deliberately repurposed national resources to prioritize and incentivise sustainable (agricultural) production, supply and consumption of nutritious foods as we endeavour to attain Vision 2030,” said Basera.

In light of this, he said, government was introducing modern agricultural production methods such as mechanisation and engineering to revolutionise the sector across the board.

He was speaking at a meeting with key stakeholders in the sector.

“Ladies and gentlemen, agriculture occupies a central place in the economy of our nation and has previously contributed up to 20 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 33 percent to formal employment, 65 percent of raw material requirements for agro-industries and account for 70 percent of rural livelihoods,” Basera said.

He said it was against this background that agriculture is regarded as the main pathway out of poverty and a pre-condition for economic transformation.

New Ziana