Agricultural Revival #zimbabwe

THE Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries has
come up with a nine-point plan to help
Government revive agri-business while a
committee to lobby against the illegal sanctions
has also been set up.
Addressing the Institute of Bankers of Zimbabwe
44th Summer Banking School in Nyanga CZI vice
president Mr Henry Nemaire said the nine-point
plan has already been submitted to Government.
Presenting a paper titled "Reinvigorating the
Manufacturing Sector to Address High
Unemployment Levels", Mr Nemaire said the plan
to revive agri-business was adopted as part of
CZI's resolutions at its congress in Bulawayo two
weeks ago.
The plan calls for a paradigm shift in agri-
business to produce food and create
employment in view of declining production of
strategic crops.
Wheat production is almost at zero from a peak
of 310 000 metric tonnes in 2001 with deficit on
maize estimated by the Food and Agriculture
Organisation at one million metric tonnes. Maize
is the country's staple food while wheat is also an
essential cereal.
To that end CZI said there was need for closure
on compensation for former white farmers. He
added that the United Kingdom, US or European
countries would be engaged to put money into a
fund to facilitate the compensation in the spirit of
pledges made at Lancaster House in 1979 while at
the same time the industry representative body
will also lobby for the removal of sanctions.
The other option to bring finality to the white
farmers' compensation, the CZI said, would be to
go with the Commercial Farmers' Union proposal
of bonds for US$4 billion.
CZI says there is also need to issue new banking
sector compliant 99-year leases to new farmers
who occupied and are developing new farms
with 131 having been issued out of 276 600.
The manufacturing industries representative body
also proposed extending the probation period for
farmers who have occupied but have not
developed allocated farms due to lack of funding.
The lobby group said farms allocated but not
occupied should be reallocated to serious farmers
while all farmers issued with 99-year leases
should be allowed to engage in full-scale
commercial farming activities through employing
and going into joint ventures or partnerships of
choice in line with the law, but without political
restrictions.