SADC donates US$98,000 refrigerated truck to Zimbabwe

In a major boost to Zimbabwe's fisheries sector, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Thursday handed over a three-tonne refrigerated truck valued at US$98,000 to the Zimbabwe Fish Producers Association (ZFPA). The donation marks a key milestone under the Program for Improving Fisheries Governance and Blue Economy Trade Corridors in the SADC region (PROFISHBLUE Project).

The truck, which was funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and received tax exemption from the Zimbabwean government, is expected to reduce post-harvest losses and improve the transportation of fish products across the value chain.

SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, Angele Makombo N'tumba, presided over the handover ceremony and hailed the initiative as a vital intervention in support of food and nutrition security in the region.

"The PROFISHBLUE Project has a profound impact on the livelihoods of those involved in the fish value chain," N'tumba said. "We are deeply grateful to the AfDB for funding this vital initiative, which is aimed at supporting your efforts to develop the aquaculture and fisheries sector."

N'tumba highlighted that the SADC Secretariat is working with Zimbabwe on several initiatives linked to fisheries governance and the blue economy, including strategic investment planning and fisheries management for Lake Kariba, as well as promoting fish consumption.

As part of the PROFISHBLUE Project, SADC has also partnered with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and WORLDFISH to provide vessel monitoring equipment for Zambia and Zimbabwe and support small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in aquatic food product development. A regional recipe book with 213 fish-based recipes has been completed to encourage greater consumption of aquatic foods across SADC member states.

SADC is also collaborating with the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to strengthen institutions and support women and youth-led businesses engaged in fish trade and cross-border initiatives.

Similar refrigerated trucks have already been handed over to Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania, and will soon be extended to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Madagascar, and Mozambique. According to N'tumba, the initiative is directly supporting over 15,000 people, mainly women and youth, across seven countries.

In addition to the vehicle, the ZFPA will benefit from a one-year comprehensive insurance policy funded by the SADC Secretariat.

Speaking at the event, ZFPA Chairman Garikai Munatsirei expressed appreciation for the support.

"As an association, our focus is on the growth of the fisheries sector and this donation by SADC will help to sustain that. We are very grateful," he said.

The donation comes at a time when Zimbabwe is investing in the aquaculture and blue economy sectors as part of its national development priorities under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).