By Admore Mbonda in Mwenezi
MWENEZI – In a major push to reposition agriculture as the engine of regional development, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda has toured Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi District, where a private-investor partnership is expanding a large-scale agricultural greenbelt programme expected to transform livelihoods across Mwenezi and beyond.
Speaking during the inspection tour, Dr Soda said the Nuanetsi initiative aligns with the Government’s drive to accelerate economic transformation under the Second Republic and the national Vision 2030 agenda.
He described the project as a cornerstone of rural development, stressing that modern irrigation-based agriculture can generate jobs, improve household water access, and spur agro-industrial growth.
The greenbelt corridor is being developed through collaboration between eight private investors and the Development Trust of Zimbabwe (DTZ), the entity that owns Nuanetsi Ranch.
DTZ officials said the programme targets a total footprint of 30,000 hectares, with development already underway on portions planted under sugarcane.
Plans are at an advanced stage to diversify production by integrating citrus and lucerne, broadening both economic opportunities and long-term market prospects.
Project officials noted that the investment model is designed not only to boost farm output but also to strengthen supply chains capable of supporting downstream processing and employment creation.
DTZ General Manager Mr Emmanuel Jaricha briefed Dr Soda and his delegation on how the greenbelt is already reshaping surrounding communities.
He explained that private investors are drilling boreholes to provide clean water for families being reorganised as part of the programme’s implementation.
Mr Jaricha told the Minister’s team that access to safe water is central to the project’s social mandate, ensuring communities benefit alongside infrastructure and farming expansion.
“This undertaking is changing lives,” Mr Jaricha said, adding that water provision and resettlement processes are being carried out with long-term sustainability in mind.
Beyond farming expansion, the project is expected to generate significant employment for local communities.
DTZ officials indicated that hundreds of jobs have already been created during the initial phases, with further opportunities anticipated as acreage grows and the production mix deepens.
The greenbelt initiative is also seen as a pathway to industrial development. Officials said the programme is expected to culminate in the establishment of an ethanol plant at Nuanetsi, strengthening value addition and expanding the agricultural economy beyond primary production.
Dr Soda’s tour forms part of his ongoing engagements with high-impact projects under the Second Republic, aimed at assessing implementation progress and ensuring that priority initiatives deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
He was accompanied by his Permanent Secretary, Mr Nick Mangwana, and the Permanent Secretary for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa, along with other government representatives.
As the Nuanetsi project moves from initial sugarcane development toward diversified horticulture and forage production, Dr Soda emphasised that such investment corridors are critical to building resilient rural economies, improving household welfare, and supporting national industrialisation goals.
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