tawandamusarurwa
Theseus Shambare
More than 2 000 farming joint ventures (JVs) covering about 200 000 hectares have been approved by Government as the authorities continue to stimulate maximum utilisation of land to boost production.
The JVs framework was operationalised in 2020, with Government setting up a match-making platform between investors and beneficiaries of the land reform programme.
It is meant to capacitate farmers who, despite having huge potential on farms, have failed to fully utilise the land due to financial constraints. Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Dr John Basera urged farmers to embrace JVs for agricultural growth. The Ministry, Dr Basera said, will soon launch an electronic Farmer-Investor Match Making Platform (e-FIMM) to link farmers with potential investors unlike the current setup that requires more paperwork.
Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services chief director Professor Obert Jiri said:
“At the moment we do have about 2 500 joint ventures approved by the Ministry, for about 150 000 to 200 000 hectares.”
He said global dynamics in food production and trade created an environment where as a country, there is need to achieve food self-sufficiency and maximum production at any cost.
“We think it is a working model so that we can now start to see optimised use of land and resources. There is smart access to land and land investment. We have already started to see investments flowing into the agriculture space in the form of working capital, retooling and up tooling as well as mechanisation through modernisation and irrigation development,” said Prof Jiri, adding that Zimbabwe has potential to irrigate over 2 million hectares.
Under the JVs framework, the two parties will agree with Government’s facilitation, on duration of the structure.
The investor will be required to put up agricultural infrastructure and equipment on the farm during which he will be producing but will leave after the said period. There is also room for extension of agreed period and the framework is required to be mutually beneficial – taking agriculture as business.
@TheseusShambare
Online Reporter