China Pledges US$20 Million for Food Security and Technology Advancements in Zimbabwe
In a significant boost to Zimbabwe’s food security and technological advancements in the agriculture sector, China has pledged to provide the country with US$20 million worth of emergency food assistance.
This announcement came during a ceremony at the New Parliament Building in Mount Hampden, where Mr. Tang Wenhong, the head of the Chinese government delegation and Vice Chairman of China International Development Co-operation Agency, made the pledge.
Following the announcement, Mr. Tang Wenhong and Zimbabwe’s Finance, Economic Development, and Investment Promotion Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, signed exchange letters worth nearly US$5 million, focused on supporting food and nutrition initiatives in Zimbabwe.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Tang emphasized the Chinese government’s commitment to assisting Zimbabwe in achieving food security, saying, “Chinese President Xi Jinping is highly concerned about food security in Zimbabwe. So, he made a special arrangement to deliver another US$20 million worth of emergency food assistance to Zimbabwe.”
Additionally, China is providing technological assistance to Zimbabwe, with a particular focus on mushroom farming. Mr. Tang highlighted the advantages of technology in addressing food security challenges and combating desertification. He stressed that technology could serve as a nutrition base for mushroom cultivation.
Professor Ncube expressed his appreciation for the assistance from China, stating, “We appreciate the assistance that we are getting from China, but really that was not the entirety of the discussion; we went beyond that. We also discussed this beautiful Parliament (Building), how it will be enhanced.”
The discussion between the two nations extended to various areas of cooperation, including the utilization of Juncao technology, which facilitates mushroom cultivation in rural areas and comes with drought-resistant technology.
Moreover, the meeting emphasized the need to complete various projects on time, with a focus on enhancing infrastructure and logistics, such as the National Railways of Zimbabwe.
The ongoing collaboration between Zimbabwe and China encompasses a wide range of development projects, ensuring that the two countries continue to strengthen their friendly relations and work together to achieve mutual benefits in terms of investment and economic growth.
This story has been adopted from The Herald-Zimbabwe.
