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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 30507, member: 2262"] Japan has ramped up its New Rice for Africa (Nerica) production across Zimbabwe, a project kickstarted by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa during her 2022 trip to Japan. The country currently boasts 28 agricultural sites cultivating Nerica, pushing forward the vision of boosting local rice production and cutting down on imports. Japanese diplomats, including Ambassador Shinichi Yamanaka and JICA representative Shigeki Furuta, visited the First Lady's office to discuss agricultural partnerships. They expressed enthusiasm about Zimbabwe's farming potential, particularly the Agric4She program supporting female farmers. The delegation showed keen interest in collaborating on sesame production, targeting export opportunities to Japan. Nerica represents an innovative African-Asian hybrid rice variety resistant to disease and drought. The breakthrough emerged after Dr Mnangagwa noticed Zimbabwe's absence from a rice production presentation at an economic summit. She proactively engaged rice experts and JICA officials, securing commitments to expand agricultural capabilities across multiple provinces. Zimbabwe currently struggles with rice production, consuming 300000 metric tonnes annually but generating merely 2900 metric tonnes from traditional varieties. The Nerica initiative represents a transformative approach to agricultural development. Dr Mnangagwa highlighted the program's potential to empower women economically, emphasizing their crucial role in driving agricultural innovation and national food security. [/QUOTE]

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