Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter
Africa must harness the power of science, innovation, and collaboration to breed its way out of the intertwined challenges of hunger, malnutrition, and poverty, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka, has said.
Officially opening the 4th African Plant Breeders Association (APBA) Conference in Victoria Falls on Monday, Dr Masuka described plant breeding as a critical weapon in the continent’s fight for a food- and nutrition-secure future.
The conference, running under the theme “Winning the Race Against Food Insecurity, Malnutrition, and Climate Change,” has attracted leading scientists, researchers and policymakers from across Africa.
Minister Masuka said the time for rhetoric was over, urging stakeholders to translate scientific research into practical solutions for farmers and consumers.
The insights, lessons and strategies that will emerge from your presentations and rich discussions are essential for advancing improved agricultural productivity and enhancement of nutrition and diets while ensuring adaptation to increasingly harsh climate-induced growing conditions, said Dr Masuka.
He highlighted that climate change was manifesting through frequent droughts, extreme heat and floods — challenges that demand robust crop improvement techniques to build resilient food systems.
From innovative to insightful evaluation of wheat, maize, cassava, rice, groundnuts, cotton, millet and legumes using the latest techniques, to breeding for stress tolerance — this packed conference programme reflects the importance of overcoming the triumvirate challenges of sustainably increasing productivity, breeding more diverse nutritious food crops and climate mitigation and adaptation, he said.
Dr Masuka outlined Zimbabwe’s proactive approach to climate-proof agriculture through the Agriculture, Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy, which rests on ten key pillars.
At the centre of the strategy is climate-smart agriculture, particularly the Pfumvudza/Intwasa model, which Government targets for 100 percent adoption by 2026.
He said irrigation development remains a top priority to protect the country’s agriculture from erratic rainfall patterns.
Currently, some 123 000 hectares have been developed, an increase of 27 percent. The pace gathered must be sustained to meet the target of 496 000 hectares under irrigation by 2030, he said.
Dr Masuka warned that conservative projections indicate a possible 33 percent decline in rain-fed maize yields by 2050 due to climate change if corrective measures are not taken.
Zimbabwe is deliberately building a strong and modern technology-driven agriculture sector to increase productivity, improve viability, and enhance profitability at every scale — from household to estate — and across all value chains, he said.
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