Government pushes horticulture hubs

AGRICULTURE permanent secretary John Basera says the government intends to scale up production efficiency in the horticulture sector through the creation of networks around centres of excellence.
Basera told the media this week after touring Selby Enterprise Farm on the outskirts of Harare that modernisation was critical for the sector to increase its exports.
“We need to upscale our efficiencies; our production efficiencies, our productivity efficiencies. So, we have some massive investment needed in that regard. You saw precision farming (at Selby Enterprise Farm) in terms of fertigation, chemigation… these irrigation systems are highly water efficient, climate smart and precise.

“That is what we need in the agriculture space. So, if we can have plenty of such setups, the hubs, the centres of horticulture excellence. That would be incredible because they would act as hubs, especially for the smallholder farms. Remember as government we are rolling out a programme under the presidential horticulture scheme banner where we are trying to crowd in as much as we can the participation of the smallholder farmers, especially into the export markets and financial inclusion,” Basera said.