Zimbabwe reaps rewards of Brazil loan

Government is fully committed to implementing the Brazilian More Food for Africa Programme, which has great potential to change the face of agriculture in Zimbabwe and ensure food security, a Cabinet minister has said. The programme is a result of Brazil-Zimbabwe co-operation which saw the South American giant availing a US$98 million loan for procurement of irrigation equipment and farm implements.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made said the equipment was being distributed in all eight rural provinces.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Dr Made said: "The programme allows us to capitalise on existing water sources and provides motivation to develop new ones so that we can harness these and enhance the capacity to produce crops all year round.

"This will also mitigate the unpredictability of the weather patterns and the El Nino phenomenon as we can apply water stored in dams and other water sources using the new irrigation equipment."

The minister said Government would provide farmers under the scheme free start-up inputs and expect them to fund future agriculture activities from harvest proceeds.

The irrigation scheme was launched last year and according to Brazil's Embassy in Zimbabwe, more than 176 irrigation schemes have so far been rehabilitated or established.

Chabwino, Cashel and Chesa-Mutondwe are some of the projects that have already began production under the More Food for Africa irrigation scheme.

Dr Made said: "The Chesa-Mutondwe Irrigation Scheme located in the drought-prone area of Mount Darwin stands out as an oasis and a good example of the benefits of the irrigation scheme. At Chabwino, more than 50 families and four schools that are farming at a 25-hectare irrigation scheme are expecting an average of three tonnes per family."

According to a recent report from Brazil's Embassy in Harare, the programme is part of an initiative to economic development as opposed to a donor beneficiary which only empowers people on a short-term basis.

"The programme was very successful in Brazil and it brought over 40 million people out of poverty over a period of 20 years," said the embassy. "As a result our Government decided to share that experience with Zimbabwe among other countries in the world."

Zimbabwe is the first country to secure such a loan from Brazil.

The loan provides long-term financing for agriculture at a concessionary rate of two percent per annum with repayment period of up to 15 years.