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Herald Reporter
FINANCE Minister Patrick Chinamasa has said he is making concerted efforts to secure funding for Agribank to ensure there is onward lending to farmers. He said this while responding to questions in the National Assembly last week on this farming season’s funding for A2 farmers.
“I am struggling to find some money to give to Agribank for on-lending to A2 farmers, but nothing has materialised at the moment,” he said.
He said at least US$800 million had been secured for lending under the overdraft facility run by banks, but the money would be available to farmers who would have repaid their loans from the previous season.
Government has said the availability of funding for seeds and inputs are at the top of priorities this season to ensure good harvests. Some A1 and communal farmers have since benefited under the President’s Inputs Scheme which is targeting 1,6 million households.
A number of new commercial farmers have been complaining that they can not access funding under the banks’ US$800 million facility because of lack of collateral. They called upon the banks to relax their lending requirements to ensure a better farming season.
Meanwhile, Environment, Water and Climate Minister Cde Saviour Kasukuwere said during the same session that a department within the ministry had been set up to come up with a master plan to deal with the effects of climate change.
“We have a new department in the ministry where we are working on a national plan on how to approach the issue of climate change,” he said.
Online Reporter