New Agro Deal to Boost Zimbabwe-Guayana Cooperation

Everisto Zhuwao

​Zimbabwe and Guyana have committed to a new era of economic cooperation centered on food security following a high-level diplomatic meeting in the Guyanese capital this Thursday.

Zimbabwe’s Special Envoy, Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira, said the meeting with Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture was a strategic move to establish concrete partnerships in crop production and water management.

Professor Murwira went on to allude that the Caribbean tour was also meant to gather support for Zimbabwe’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

​Speaking exclusively to Hurumende News Hub, the Minister said discussions focused on how both nations could leverage their recent agricultural successes to benefit one another.

Zimbabwe has recently achieved wheat self-sufficiency and has seen a massive rise in milk production, which grew from 80 million litres in 2017 to over 130 million litres today.

Meanwhile, Guyana has emerged as a regional powerhouse in rice production, currently yielding approximately one million tonnes annually.

​”Agriculture and its value chains form the foundation of industry as we know it,” Professor Murwira said.

​During the meeting, Honourable Murwira explained that a nation’s ability to feed itself is the essential foundation for industrial growth.

“Zimbabwe is ready to share its advanced seed production systems to support Guyana’s budding wheat industry,” he said.

The two nations also explored joint ventures in agro-processing, aquaculture, and the management of dam infrastructure for irrigation and energy.

​”A food-secure country can involve itself in many other developmental trajectories,” said Minister Murwira.

​The collaboration draws on a long history of solidarity dating back to Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle. Professor Murwira emphasized that the goal is now to translate this historical political friendship into modern economic productivity.

He described the Caribbean region as a vital partner for Africa, often referred to as the continent’s “sixth region” due to deep-rooted diaspora ties.

​”Our relationship goes beyond diplomacy; it is rooted in solidarity,” said Honourable Murwira.

​Moving forward, the respective ministries of both countries will begin implementing specific projects designed to create sustainable value chains.

The envoy concluded that effective diplomacy must result in tangible prosperity for the citizens of both nations rather than remaining merely a matter of discussion.