Staff Reporter
Prominent Kwekwe farmer Douglas Kwande has called on Zimbabweans, particularly farmers, to focus on bigger opportunities and add value to their produce in order to strengthen the country’s food security and economic growth.
Kwande made the remarks during the launch of the Valley Seeds Limpopo and Zambezi wheat varieties at his East Range Subdivision 3 Farm in Ward 1, Zhombe.
The event was officiated by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri.
He said Zimbabweans should embrace locally produced food instead of depending on imports.
“We must eat bread baked from our locally produced wheat, which is healthier than bread baked using imported wheat from countries such as Ukraine or China,” Kwande said.
He also urged people not to be distracted by minor pursuits but to aim higher in their ambitions. Using an analogy, Kwande compared visionary thinking to the hunting habits of lions.
“A cat lies in ambush for a rat, but a lion prefers to stay hungry and wait for bigger animals three times its size than chase after a hare. The lion has a sense of sharing with its pride, and vultures later feast on the remains,” he said, noting that the same spirit of focus and knowledge-sharing was vital in farming.
Kwande encouraged farmers to define their mentality towards growth.
“Target big things. Don’t chase small things. Don’t spend time chasing rats,” he said.
The farmer, who has been active in promoting agricultural development in Midlands Province, said value addition and collective effort in farming would help Zimbabwe achieve greater food self-sufficiency.
