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Precious Manomano
Herald Reporter
About US$169 million worth of mechanisation equipment imported under Phase 3 of the Belarus Mechanisation Facility is expected to significantly narrow the mechanisation gap in the country’s agriculture industry as Government moves to fully automate the sector to boost production.
The country has a mechanisation gap and Government is targeting to increase tractors to 30 000 from the 12 000 which are presently available.
Provision of agricultural mechanisation services will enable a huge jump in production across all agricultural enterprises.
Mechanisation is among the critical ingredient services crucial to increasing production and productivity and the effect is more pronounced in the smallholder farming sub-sector.
Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Dr John Basera said the equipment delivered under the Belarusian facility would add impetus to the Government’s mechanisation thrust.
He said the Government facilitated the phased importation of the equipment under the Belarus Mechanisation Facility adding that the equipment would be handed over to the AFC and CBZ banks for farmers to access them.
“Government has many programmes to mechanise our agriculture to upscale productivity efficiencies.”
These include the US$51 million John Deere facility (tractors and combine harvesters); the US$51 million Belarus Phase 1 facility (tractors); the US$52 million Belarus Phase 2 facility (tractors and disc harrows); the US$169 million Belarus Phase 3 facility (tractors).
About $169 million worth of equipment will be imported by Government and administered through banks such as CBZ and AFC which are going to distribute equipment to farmers.
Dr Basera urged farmers to approach the banks for equipment such as combine harvesters and tractors under the John Deere facility.
“Under the John Deere facility phase 1 is US$20 million. So far we have imported a number of pieces of equipment of Belarus tractors and combine harvesters. That programme again is administered through banks such as AFC and CBZ,” he said.
He also advised farmers that the William Bain Mechanisation Facility will be rolled out very soon, adding that over 400 units of tractors will be soon delivered so that farmers are able to improve agriculture.
“We have seen the importation of over 400 units of tractors to the tune of US$20 million and combine harvesters. This will be administered through five banks such as CBZ, Ecobank, Stanbick bank and AFC. After two weeks you are able to access equipment under the William Bain,” he said. He said there is a need to close the gap so that the country fully mechanise agriculture. He also said a farmer does not necessarily need to own a tractor, but the services must be readily available.
Dr Basera said they have also capitalised AFC leasing company through giving them 700 tractors. Farmers are expected to pay with the currency they want because the country is in the multi-currency regime.
Farmers are expected to pay 15 percent only at first then the balance is settled through a stop order arrangement.
“We have seen a number of farmers benefiting quite well in these programmes. You can go to the bank and borrow the equipment. All these efforts are to capacitate farmers because they are the agents for agricultural transformation,” he said.
Recently, Deputy Minister Vangelis Haritatos said agriculture engineering and mechanisation were key drivers and enablers to transforming agricultural production in line with the Government’s push to revolutionise and industrialise farming in Zimbabwe.
“It is our aim to adopt innovative technologies and production systems to increase accessibility, availability and affordability of quantity and quality food for our people,” he said.
In February this year, President Mnangagwa commissioned 1 635 tractors, 16 combine harvesters and other farming equipment under the US$66 million Belarus Phase 2 Mechanisation Facility.
The first phase of the facility saw the delivery of 474 tractors, 60 combine harvesters, 210 planters and five low bed trucks to farmers. Mechanisation of the agriculture sector plays a pivotal role in setting the country’s agro-based economy on a positive growth and recovery path through realisation of a potential gross domestic product of 33 percent, up from the current 20, as downstream benefits of mechanised operations.
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