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By Elvis Dumba
The African Empowerment Fund -Organic Africa, is set to go into partnership with Farmers for Economic Development for herbal farming.
Farmers for Economic Development National Chairperson, Tapiwa Chitate, said his organisation is targeting at least 5 000 hectares of land along the Zambezi Escarpment for the project.
Chitate revealed this when he officiated at the launch of the association’s Zvimba District chapter in Banket.
“Covid-19 has created a demand for herbal products for medicinal purposes such as ginger. Our President, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa has been encouraging farmers to venture into diversification of the farming business for economic growth as we contribute towards Vision 2030 for the attainment of an upper middle-income economy,” he said.
“We have a memorandum of understanding with the Africa Economic Empowerment Fund to unlock funding for a herbal project under Organic Africa which has injected a 43 million euros fund for Africa and we are encouraging farmers to venture into the herbal farming business on a large scale as there is a ready export market.
”We are in consultation to establish at least 5000-hectare herbal farming project along the Zambezi escarpment to take advantage of the world’s herbal demand,” he revealed.
Farmers for Economic Development National Executive Member, Archie Zulu, implored farmers to utilise the land for the country to attain back its bread basket for Africa status.
“Our President has assured us that the land resettlement program is irreversible so it’s time we fully utilise the land and increase our production so that we can economically defend our inheritance as we rally on the visionary leadership of our country,” he said.
Eddie Mazambani, the war veterans representative in the organisation said the land was at the centre of the liberation war that claimed the lives of thousands of Zimbabweans and called upon farmers to ensure they defend the land reform program through increased production.
“As farmers, let us ensure the land reform program succeeds as we produce, transform and prosper our nation through increased agriculture production,” he advised.
Farmers for Economic Development is an affiliate of the ruling ZANU PF party with its membership for Harare province only at 75 000.
Mildred Nechironga, Zvimba District Farmers for Economic Development Chairperson, said women should not lag behind in the agriculture revolution.
“We are happy that as women from all farming backgrounds that is peri-urban, small or large scale farmers as well those who do backyard farming can be part of Farmers for Economic Development. My encouragement is that women and people with disabilities should not lag behind as we all should take our part in the country’s economic development” Nechironga said.