Capitalise on natural resources: Murwira Prof Murwira

Emmah Chinyamutangira Manicaland Correspondent
GOVERNMENT is encouraging citizens to utilise the country’s heritage as well as capitalising on natural resources to develop and maximise national export revenue.

In an interview with The Herald, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said national development is based on its human resources and their ability to transform the natural resources for capital.

“Countries develop based on their heritage, fauna, flora, water, minerals and its human capital. This is because a nation can maximise its export receipts only using its comparative advantages which is its heritage.

“If Zimbabwe has to trade and gain an advantage in trading, it has to trade basing on the goods and natural resources that it has. If we, as a country, ignore the plants and animals that grow in this country and try to struggle with resources and plants that are coming from any other country it results in food deficit,” said Prof Murwira.

He said there has to be deliberate move to cultivate of indigenous plants and trees that were not cultivated before.

“We are busy trying to grow maize in a place where rapoko and millet grow better. People end up not having Mazoe (orange juice) because we are trying to grow oranges in a place where ‘matamba’ grow better.

“In Nyanyadzi there are a lot of baobab trees and from the fruit, we can make baobab drink or powder that can make yoghurts,” he said.

Prof Murwira also urged students to be involved in production and enhance agriculture skills so that the country develop at a quick pace.

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