Ecobank lights up Zim’s 2024 farming season preps

LEADING Pan African Bank – Ecobank Zimbabwe – has bankrolled the launch of the 2024-25 summer farming season ceremony to promote the attainment of a food self-sufficient Zimbabwe for all.

To be held on November 21, 2024 at the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) Business Hub in Harare, the 2024-2025 farming season launch breakfast ceremony will bring together agriculture value chain stakeholders in Zimbabwe to share important perspectives on the forthcoming summer farming season.

Agriculture minister Anxious Masuka

“As a Pan African bank, it remains our commitment to propel the African agenda, and our participation in the Zimbabwe farming season launch through sponsorship is our humble way of promoting the attainment of national food security for everyone”, Ecobank Zimbabwe Managing Director Moses Kurenjekwa said.

The 2024/2025 farming season is expected to be officially launched by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Anxious Masuka, under the theme, “Growing Zimbabwe Together” which resonates with the national philosophy of unity of purpose in building the nation, brick upon brick, and stone upon stone.

“We expect to have expert representations from the Ministry of Agriculture, Agriculture Marketing Authority, Grain Marketing Board, Zimbabwe Mercantile Exchange, Zimbabwe Seed Traders Association, Fertiliser Manufacturers Association, CropLife, Meteorological Services Department, Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Farmers Union,

Commercial Farmers Union, Zimbabwe National Farmers Union, financial and insurance institutions, among others at this grand gathering,” ZAS chief executive Andrew Matibiri asserted as he implored all agriculture value chain stakeholders in Zimbabwe to unite towards a successful 2024-2025 summer farming season.

Zimbabwe is an agriculture-based economy with an estimated 67 percent livelihoods depending on this critical sector, contributing approximately 20 percent to its Gross Domestic Product. Also, circa 63 percent of raw materials in Zimbabwe’s manufacturing industry come from agriculture, demonstrating its systematic significance to the country’s food systems and industry value chains.

To grow the sector to US$13.5 billion in line with the National Development Strategy (NDSI) and Vision 2030, the Food and Agriculture Systems Transformation, a strategic blueprint was launched by His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2021 to usher the nation to food self-sufficiency, sustainable agriculture, and prosperity.

The event, organised by the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society and The Financial Gazette, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Water and Rural Development is expected to inform, educate, motivate, and promote agricultural stakeholders towards a successful farming season, thanks to the socially responsible Pan African Bank