News / National
Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centre launched
05 Apr 2012 at 23:24hrs | Views
Zimbabwe's Vice President Joice Mujuru has commended the Chinese government for putting in place measures aimed at capacitating Zimbabwe to be able to produce its own food on a sustainable basis, unlike other countries that have tried to leverage the issue of food shortages to push their political agendas.
Mujuru made the remarks during the official launch of the Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centre by the visiting Chinese Vice Premier, Mr Hui Liang Yu at Gwebi College.
Chinese Vice Premier and his delegation arrived in the country this Wednesday and were welcomed at the Harare International Airport by Vice President Mujuru and Foreign Affairs Minister, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi.
From the airport, the delegation went to the Agricultural Demonstration Centre located at Gwebi College just outside Harare where Mr Hui officially opened the centre.
The centre is the fruit of the Sino-Africa Summit held in Beijing in 2006, when China pledged to assist agricultural development in Africa by setting up 10 agricultural technology demonstration centres.
Addressing invited guests, Mujuru said drought has now become a permanently recurring feature and some co-operating partners have come under the disguise of providing food aid, yet their intentions will be to push their political agendas.
She called on the local fiscal authorities to provide adequate funding for irrigation agriculture, the only way which can help the country ensure food security.
Mr Hui pledged his country's continued support for Zimbabwe in all sectors including the agricultural sector.
Speaking at the same occasion, Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Dr Joseph Made said the centre will play a crucial role in providing local farmers with knowledge and skills in agricultural machinery and equipment management.
The delegation later toured the centre and Mujuru and Mr Hui had a chance to see how students will be taught agro-processing skills adopted from China including agricultural equipment manufactured in the Asian nation.
Mujuru made the remarks during the official launch of the Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centre by the visiting Chinese Vice Premier, Mr Hui Liang Yu at Gwebi College.
Chinese Vice Premier and his delegation arrived in the country this Wednesday and were welcomed at the Harare International Airport by Vice President Mujuru and Foreign Affairs Minister, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi.
From the airport, the delegation went to the Agricultural Demonstration Centre located at Gwebi College just outside Harare where Mr Hui officially opened the centre.
The centre is the fruit of the Sino-Africa Summit held in Beijing in 2006, when China pledged to assist agricultural development in Africa by setting up 10 agricultural technology demonstration centres.
She called on the local fiscal authorities to provide adequate funding for irrigation agriculture, the only way which can help the country ensure food security.
Mr Hui pledged his country's continued support for Zimbabwe in all sectors including the agricultural sector.
Speaking at the same occasion, Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Dr Joseph Made said the centre will play a crucial role in providing local farmers with knowledge and skills in agricultural machinery and equipment management.
The delegation later toured the centre and Mujuru and Mr Hui had a chance to see how students will be taught agro-processing skills adopted from China including agricultural equipment manufactured in the Asian nation.
Source - ZBC
