By Staff Reporter
MWENEZI – MWENEZI Multi Service Centre (MSC) in Mwenezi District is envisaged to bring economic growth to the district, resulting in the improvement of lives of people in the rural community.
In the light of the Government’s declared intention of leaving no one and no place behind and priority focused on setting up of rural industries the Multi Service Centre comes in a few years after President Emmerson Mnangagwa commissioned the Marula processing plant in the district.
Speaking at the commissioning of a US$1.1 million project in Rutenga recently Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ezra Chadzamira, said the centre was in sync with the need to industrialise communities.
The project is being implemented by SAT and its partners which include the EU, USAID, FCDO, UN Agencies, Japanese and Dutch Embassies and works to complement the efforts by the Government towards achieving Vision 2030.
“The MSC aligns with the Government of Zimbabwe’s Agriculture 8.0 drive that promotes Rural Industrialization as we move towards a knowledge- based, prosperous, and empowered upper-middle-income society by 2030, particularly around value addition and beneficiation, promotion of exports, employment creation, and youth development,” he said.
“The MSC also plays a crucial role in boosting the province’s ambitious economic thrust towards achieving an eight-billion-dollar economy by 2030. SAT and its partners are commended for the sterling work they have undertaken in the last two years to put Mwenezi District and Masvingo Province on the map.”
He said the growing of sesame and paprika augured well with the climate change being experienced. As drought-tolerant crops, they are resilient in the face of low rainfall.
“The processing plants are important since they add value to the crops. Tichivaka dunhu redu reMasvingo, tichivaka nyika yedu ye Zimbabwe. I am reliably informed that the paprika processing mill has already produced and sold at least 20 tonnes of milled paprika for the local market, while 151 tonnes of sesame were exported to Itochu Corporation of Japan through Surface Wilmar in July 2024 and 61 tonnes of sesame were exported by SAT to Mozambique. The food safety certifications that are planned for later this year will unlock access to regional and global paprika markets, following product inquiries from South Africa, Spain, India, the United States of America, among others.”
He said the paprika mill can produce 300 tonnes of milled paprika a year which will guarantee access to a market on the doorsteps for smallholder farmers on irrigation schemes in the province.
As the country is working on eradicating the use of drugs by the youths, the centre has also come up with the vocational training skills model which is envisages benefitting young people in the community.
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