ZIMBABWE'S rural economy plays a significant role in national food production, in alleviating extreme poverty and in the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency (Zimstat) demographic survey from 2017 estimates that more than 68% of the Zimbabwean population lives in rural areas, which are classified into communal and resettlement areas.
The percentage equates to more than eight million people. Undoubtedly, rural-urban migration has greatly altered the population distribution with the young and economically active migrating to urban areas in search of better employment and income generating opportunities. This change in distribution has brought with it pressure on limited resources in urban areas, while depriving the rural areas of the skills to drive economic activities especially in agriculture.
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