ZIMBABWE is projected to record a grain surplus of approximately 812 000 tonnes based on an anticipated cereal reserve of 3,01 million tonnes, government has said yesterday.
The total comprises a harvest of 2 928 206 tonnes and an existing reserve of 83 526 metric tonnes, against an annual grain requirement of 2,2 million metric tonnes, a Cabinet minister has said, adding that this would see the cessation of grain imports.
During post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services minister Jenfan Muswere said the surplus would be even greater if projections were based on the Sadc regional average cereal consumption rate of 8,5 kilogrammes per person per month.
Zimbabwe’s national average consumption rate is at 7,7 kilogrammes per person per month.
“To ensure optimal support to the agricultural sector, resources will continue to be availed to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) to facilitate timely payment for grain deliveries by farming communities.
“Grain marketing will also continue to be conducted through multiple channels, including the GMB, the Zimbabwe Mercantile Exchange and direct sales to various agro-processors. In addition, the warehouse receipt system is active, with a 2025 intake of 4 000 metric tonnes of cereals, oilseeds and pulses realised to date,” Muswere said.
Meanwhile, Muswere said Cabinet considered and noted the Zimbabwe Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Report with the country being one of the six countries in Africa selected and sponsored by Unesco to take part in piloting the Unesco recommendation in deploying AI technologies and addressing the ethical risks associated with deploying AI, leveraging on the innovative Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) tool.
Zimbabwe adopted the Unesco Recommendation on Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in November 2021. The recommendation provides an internationally agreed set of principles and comprehensive guidance to policymakers on ensuring that this game-changing technology benefits society and protects citizens against associated risks,” he said.
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“A diagnosis of the national artificial intelligence landscape has been provided, marking a significant milestone in Zimbabwe’s journey towards harnessing artificial intelligence’s transformative potential for enhancing socio-economic development.
Muswere said the thematic areas that were used to assess the artificial intelligence readiness of countries utilising the Unesco RAM tool included the legal, social, cultural, scientific, educational, economic, technical and infrastructural dimensions.
“The ethical integration of artificial intelligence technologies in government, business and citizens' operations and transactions in this fourth industrial revolution is critical to the success of the economy,” he said.
