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Herald Reporter 

JAPANESE New Rice For Africa (Nerica) expert Tatsushi Tsuboi, who is in the country at the invitation of Agric4She Patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, has conducted a seminar with officials from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to lay the groundwork for large-scale rice production in Zimbabwe.

This comes at a time when authorities are working on a rice policy to ensure the nation achieves self-sufficiency in rice production as part of the Agric4She empowerment initiative.

Over 80 percent of rice sold and consumed in the country is imported, chewing over US$100 million. Currently, Zimbabwe’s annual rice production is at 2 908 tonnes against a national requirement of 300 000 tonnes.

In a speech read on her behalf by Dr Dumisani Kutywayo, the chief director, Department of Research and Specialist Services in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development during the recent rice seminar workshop in Harare, the First Lady said it was critical to venture into rice production to create employment and meet the nation’s nutritional needs. 

The workshop drew the participation of Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Satoshi Tanaka, and representatives of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“This workshop is coming at a time when the country is working on the rice policy,” said the First Lady. 

“I, therefore, call upon the rice stakeholders to come up with a clear roadmap to ensure Zimbabwe achieves self-sufficiency in rice production.” 

Dr Mnangagwa described rice as a strategic crop which could contribute significantly to national food security. 

“Increased rice consumption influenced by the change of lifestyle and the need for diversification has created a pressing need for increased rice production and productivity. Rice, as a strategic crop in Zimbabwe, holds great potential to contribute towards food security, hunger reduction and poverty alleviation,” she said. 

Dr Mnangagwa said there was need to learn from other countries and experts for the nation to become self-sufficient.

“This workshop is aimed at strengthening the rice value chain through knowledge and information sharing, improvement of technical skills and fostering collaboration among rice value chain actors,” she said. 

“It is my hope that the rice strategy will emphasise the importance of training local researchers, training of trainers and women farmers drawn from all the 10 provinces of Zimbabwe.”

Dr Tsuboi’s visit to Zimbabwe is part of follow-up engagements which the First Lady had in Tokyo, Japan, with JICA officials in November 2022.

Last year, Dr Mnangagwa attended the Asia Pacific Africa Women’s Economic Exchange Summit in Japan which explored ways of securing food self-sufficiency for the future of children. It was during that conference that Dr Tsuboi made a presentation on NERICA production in African countries and how women were playing an active role in the sector.

In his presentation, Zimbabwe was not included among beneficiaries of rice production, prompting Amai Mnangagwa’s engagements with Dr Tsuboi, Mr Akutsu Kentaro and JICA senior vice president Mrs Imoto Sachiko during which she humbly requested NERICA rice production initiatives in the country.

Dr Tsuboi is a renowned NERICA expert under JICA, with more than 30 years’ experience and his visit confirms the First Lady’s hard work to benefit Zimbabweans.

Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Tanaka Satoshi, said he was pleased that Dr Tsuboi came all the way to Zimbabwe for the workshop, at the invitation of the First Lady.

“As you all know, last December, the First Lady visited Japan for the Asia-Pacific African Women’s Economic Summit,” he said. 

“I understand that she attended a lecture by Dr Tsuboi, and was so impressed that she invited him to Zimbabwe. 

“She did this in the hope that growing NERICA would help rural women in Zimbabwe to improve their livelihoods.” 

Dr Tsuboi recently visited the First Lady at her Zimbabwe House offices in the company of Mr Tanaka and JICA officials where he expressed willingness to work with Agric4She patron Dr Mnangagwa and the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in making the rice venture possible.

True to their word, they visited the Agricultural Experiment Station in Shamva to see the experimental cultivation of NERICA.

The visiting expert once visited the country 16 years ago, but the initiative did not get much support, but this time with Amai Mnangagwa at the forefront, the programme is expected to flourish.

Meanwhile, farmers and experts have welcomed the initiative.

“I really appreciate the move that has been taken by our First Lady and this programme will definitely save our foreign currency. 

“Like what was said, this programme was launched at some point in 2006 but it didn’t receive much support, but the good thing this time is that our Amai is now at the forefront and it will succeed,” Mr Bongani Moyo, a Harare based small scale rice farmer, said.

Acting Agricultural Research, Innovation and Development Directorate, Director of Crops Mr Victor Chingwara said: “It is a very noble idea for Amai to call such an expert so much that our capacity and knowledge and skills are enhanced. It is a strategic initiative if you look at it from the demand, consumption of rice and the need for food security.”