“Mr President, allow me to congratulate you on the opening of this year’s Zimbabwe Agricultural Show.
Over the 130 years since its founding, the value and importance of this agricultural show has endured and grown.
This premier event has weathered strong headwinds: political, economic and increasingly ecological.
Even amidst these challenges, a constant feature of this show has been the commitment to use agriculture as a catalyst for economic growth, sustainable development and historical redress.
On independence in 1980, the new democratic government of Zimbabwe had to take on the momentous task of dismantling colonial-era patterns of land ownership.
Most of the country’s commercially productive land and large-scale commercial farms were owned by whites. The black majority was confined to communal lands and all but completely excluded from commercial farming.
This mirrored our own experience in South Africa.
It was therefore essential – for both historical redress and food security, development and economic growth – that the government embarked on ambitious reforms to facilitate the entry of black Zimbabweans into productive agriculture, including support to small-scale farmers.
Agriculture is a cornerstone of the Zimbabwean economy.
We congratulate the government of Zimbabwe for the measures it is taking to revive the country’s agricultural sector through policy reforms, investment in irrigation and mechanisation, and empowering large- and small-scale farmers.
We know that the agricultural sector has been heavily affected by the growing impacts of the changing climate.
Severe drought has impacted crop yields in recent years.
Adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change are an imperative for all nations. Collaboration among countries is critical to the success of these efforts.
Biosecurity is another area in which we must step up our cooperation.
Outbreaks of foot and mouth disease, avian or bird flu, crop infections and others, call on us to pool our resources and strengthen our collaboration, including through our respective research institutions.
Technological trends in agriculture must be fully embraced to increase output and conserve resources.
By way of example, geo-spacial 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.
It will also help to make our industries more competitive in the global trading market and to make use of the substantial opportunities of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
President Mnangagwa and I recently attended the SADC Summit in Madagascar, where agricultural transformation in the region was a major point of discussion.
The hosting of this Agriculture Show resonates with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, which seeks to improve domestic production and marketing as well as the facilitation of regional trade in food staples.
Agricultural cooperation is key to sustaining jobs.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, agriculture accounts for between 60 and 80 percent of employment in the region.
We must therefore work towards a more enabling regulatory environment to further boost this sector.
We need increased investment in small and medium farming entities, particularly those owned and run by women and the youth.
I call on the private sectors in both Zimbabwe and South Africa to use this show to explore avenues for great collaboration that will result in more trade and investment across our borders.
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.
Your Excellency, Mr President, As I conclude, I wish to once again thank you and the people of Zimbabwe for the warm welcome you have accorded us.
I extend my warmest congratulations to the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society for successfully organising this edition of the agricultural show and to everyone present here today for ensuring that the show is a resounding success.
I thank you.”
