- Zimbabwe government to lease out prime horticultural land to the Belarusian government
- Belarus keen to invest in crop and livestock production, agro-processing, input supply and local manufacturing of farm machines and irrigation equipment.
Zimbabwe government is planning to lease out vast tracts of prime horticultural land to the Belarusian government. The agreement will facilitate farming and exporting produce by Belarus while building the capacity of local farmers.
Speaking about the proposal, Deputy Agriculture minister Vangelis Haritatos said that the discussions were still in progress and that the Belarus side has shown keen interest in investing in crop and livestock production, agro-processing, input supply and local manufacturing of farm machines and irrigation equipment. The Belarusians will also enter into joint ventures with local farmers.
Though many black farmers benefitted from the 2000 fast-track land reform programme, the agricultural output failed to take off leaving Zimbabwe one of the most food-insecure nations, according to the World Food Programme. The food crisis is expected to worsen following another poor rainy season. According to the World Food Programme, a total of 7,7 million Zimbabweans are facing hunger and will need urgent help as early as next month.
President Mnangagwa sees the proposed agriculture investment deal with Belarus as a solution to the food crisis. A delegation of Belarusian officials will visit Zimbabwe in the coming weeks to assess the land. The Republic of Belarus has identified Zimbabwe’s need for economic growth and plans to participate through financial injection to boost agricultural production of selected commodities to supply the local market, as well as the Belarusian market. It will also develop local agro-industry to enable the exporting of produce. The agricultural crops that the Belarusian government is keen to promote include wheat, maize, soya beans, beef, dairy, poultry, and horticulture.
A proposal to set up a bus assembling plant by Belarus in Zimbabwe is also being explored. The buses will be handed over to the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) as part of the government’s efforts to introduce low-cost public transport to solve urban transport issues.
