Foodsectornews.com - Government Offers 99 Year Land Leases to Increase Food Production in Zimbabwe

Government Offers 99 Year Land Leases to Increase Food Production in Zimbabwe

Sunday, 17 June 2007

Zimbabwean govt. would give 99-year leases to commercial black farmers, presently settled on nationalized white farmlands under the government's fast-track land reform policy

Ngoni Masoka, lands ministry's permanent secretary, stated that leases would highlight the commitment of govt. to empower black commercial farmers who have taken advantage of the controversial land reform policy. The ministry has described land reform in Zimbabwe as the core of sustainable development and economic revival in the nation.

However, seizure of around 4,000 farms in Zimbabwe since 2000 under government's land reform program was rated as the key factor resulting in Zimbabwe's economic crisis.

Before farm evictions had begun, agriculture made up for 40% of overseas currency earnings, which has now declined to about 25%. Despite criticism that farm eviction resulted in a downfall in production, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has warned black commercial farmers to either begin food production or the land would be again seized by the govt.

Many people believe that though the govt. has offered the land, it still hasn't provided adequate tools required for food production. Many of the white farmers have already left Zimbabwe & have settled in other African nations like Nigeria & Mozambique.

"As the farms will be state-owned lands, govt. should make clear whether the farmers can utilize the farms as a security for taking loans from the banks, as banks are refraining from lending money to farmers," said an analyst at RNCOS.

Meanwhile, IMF (International Monetary Fund) said that economic woes in Zimbabwe could be addressed if it implemented IMF-recommended fiscal & monetary reforms. Zimbabwe is witnessing 8th year of slump, marked by highest inflation in world & constant shortages of food, fuel & fuel currency which critics have blamed on President Mugabe's controversial policies.

Zimbabwe needs around 1.9 Million metric Ton of cereal annually. As per independent estimates, just 800,000 metric Ton of maize is estimated to have harvested in 2006. As per humanitarian aid organizations, out of 12 Million people in Zimbabwe, 1.4 Million require an urgent food aid.