THE Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development intends to add impetus to the Government’s rural economy transformation agenda through the Rural Development 8.0 Programme by planting 18 million fruit trees nationwide by 2030.
The Government’s Rural Development 8.0 programme aims to lay a solid foundation to transform Zimbabwe’s rural economy by establishing 10 000 business units in 2025.
The initiative entails the creation of 35 000 Village Business Units (VBUs), 4 800 Youth Business Units (YBUs), and 9 600 School Business Units (SBUs) by 2028, in a development expected to reshape the rural economic landscape.
The ministry’s rural development director, Mr Leonard Munamati, shared insights from a high-level strategic planning workshop where discussions on accelerating key Rural Development 8.0 programmes took centre stage.
The rural transformation strategy encompasses the fruit tree initiative, which aims to ensure every rural household receives 10 fruit or agro-forestry trees by 2030, amounting to over 18 million trees nationwide.
Mr Munamati highlighted the ministry’s renewed focus on sourcing adequate planting material by partnering with plant nurseries across the country. – Herald
