Story by Tendai Munengwa
A new plant for the production of drought-tolerant seed varieties has been installed and commissioned at the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) in Harare.
As bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and South Korea continue to grow, this Tuesday witnessed another milestone.
The South Korean Ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Jae Kyung, handed over a new seed maize processing plant funded under the Korea Partnership for Innovation in Agriculture.
“I am excited about the development taking place in Zimbabwe. The impending rains bring hope for food security. I am happy that we have completed installing the new seed maize plant. This will be a game-changer in our relations, and for smallholder farmers, it will ensure sustainable food security in the face of drought,” Ambassador Kyung said.
SIRDC and government officials thanked the Republic of Korea for revitalising the industrial revolution, creating jobs for youths and women, and above all, boosting the production of drought-tolerant seed maize.
“We want to take this opportunity to thank the Republic of Korea for its strategic developmental support, which has strengthened our institution’s contribution towards food security. We received hatcheries which have empowered rural communities, and now this state-of-the-art seed maize plant is a milestone development that makes our relations stronger,” SIRDC Board Chair, Mr Misheck Kachere said.
“We have an 8.0 policy to vitalise our rural development- we heard that through strong existing relations, we have benefited a lot from potato seed maize, now seed maize, which is drought-tolerant. This will give us an added advantage in the face of climate change as fulfilling SDG 17 of the importance of developmental partnerships,” Director in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Mr Simba Mupondi said.
Recently, while launching the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2), President Emmerson Mnangagwa highlighted the modernisation and mechanisation of the agriculture sector as a key priority area that will enable Zimbabwe to regain its status as the breadbasket of Southern Africa.
