President Emmerson Mnangagwa addressed the Korea-Africa summit on Agriculture Productivity and Regional Development, emphasizing the crucial role of agriculture in driving socio-economic growth and sustainable development.
Speaking at the 2024 Korea-Africa summit in Seoul, Mnangagwa highlighted the significance of agriculture in ensuring food security, economic prosperity, and sustainable development, especially in rural areas.
"As the world grapples with escalating food insecurity, the significance of agriculture in driving regional growth and development becomes even more pronounced.
"More than two-thirds of Africa's rural population relies on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood.
"In Zimbabwe, agriculture is the mainstay of our economy, providing livelihoods for approximately 67% of our population," he said.
Mnangagwa also highlighted Zimbabwe's comprehensive agriculture and food systems transformation strategy, which has yielded impressive results, with agriculture and agriculture-based value chains contributing about 24% to the country's GDP.
"To date, Zimbabwe continues to experience unprecedented increases in agricultural productivity, a testament to our commitment to prioritizing agriculture in our development agenda," he said.
He attributed this success to his government's investments in modern farming techniques, increased access to quality seeds and fertilizers, conservation agriculture, and research and extension services.
"These investments in a production and productivity-enhancing ecosystem saw the country surpass its 5-year target of raising the gross value of agriculture output, with the sector now at US$9.8 billion," he said.
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Despite the progress made, Mnangagwa acknowledged that Zimbabwe remains vulnerable to climate change, which has affected the country along with the rest of Southern Africa.
"Despite this encouraging progress, Zimbabwe remains vulnerable to climate change.
" Along with the rest of the Southern African region, the climate change-induced El Nino drought has left some of our communities vulnerable," he said.
He concluded by emphasizing the importance of combining Africa's agricultural wealth with Korea's innovative expertise to drive development and prosperity.
"By combining Africa's agricultural wealth with Korea's innovative expertise, we can create a powerful synergy that benefits both regions.
"To drive development and prosperity, we must prioritize agricultural productivity and scale up collaborative efforts, like this summit, to build resilient food systems, promote equitable growth, and ensure a brighter future for our people."
