VP Chiwenga impressed by Iranian agric model

Mukudzei Chingwere in TEHRAN, Iran

The Sixth Export Potential Exhibition of Iran is running on the sidelines of the second Iran-Africa International Economic Conference.

With the majority of Zimbabwe’s population resident in rural areas, the Government has identified rural industrialisation as a key cog towards broader national economic inclusion towards an empowered upper middle income economy by 2030 as envisioned by President Mnangagwa.

To achieve this, the Government is targeting, among other things, to capacitate smallholder farming, with this intervention central to national food self-sufficiency and doing away with subsistence agriculture.

“We have seen quite a lot of interesting things at the agricultural pavilion from the development of cattle, be it dairy or beef. Their development of the embryo is such that they double the size and the quality is what struck us,” said VP Chiwenga.

“That kind of innovation, that kind of technology we would want Iran to share with us. We saw tractors and these tractors are the best we can use them for our rural industrialisation.

“They have smaller ones for small holder farmers, medium size and bigger ones which can be used by commercial farmers.

What was encouraging was the Iranians establishing themselves in Zimbabwe and this could be useful in adding value to local tobacco.

“In the health sector we have seen quite a lot as well. They are going to establish the production of medicines in Zimbabwe.

“We want them to come with hospital equipment like cancer machines, dialysis machines among a host of hi-tech innovations we have seen here,” said VP Chiwenga.