Mugabe's govt, Banks row over farmers' 99-year leases

A ROW has erupted between local financial institutions and Government over the bankability of 99-year leases, which had been primed as the solution for farmers to unlock credit from banks.

This comes as the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) says its interactions with banks show that they will start accepting 99-year leases until "some aspects" have been included in the leases.

RBZ Deputy Director (Economic Research) Mr Samuel Tarinda revealed this at the ongoing ZNCC annual congress here yesterday.

"The major bone of contention (to banks funding agriculture) is the 99-year leases, which are being perfected . . . incorporating the aspects that the banks would want so that they (farmers) use them as collateral," he told delegates.

"But I think banks view farming as a business and where they see value, definitely they will support but this is where we are coming in terms of the collateral registry that we have just developed recently so that some of the movable assets that they (farmers) do have can also be considered as collateral, not just the title to the land. So I think once some of those issues have been resolved, you must see banks seeing value in supporting agriculture."

However, Lands and Resettlement Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, shot back and expressed concern at the attitude by banks saying the amendments done on the 99-year leases recently were suggested by financial institutions.

"We have completed work on the 99-year leases and all the amendments that we did on the 99-year leases were on the advice by the bankers,' he said.

"We did what they wanted and I am surprised that they continue to say that the 99-year leases are not bankable . . . it is the attitude that bankers have.

"I have seen white former commercial farmers getting millions (of dollars) from the same banks to fund agriculture when they didn't have an offer letter.

And when the (black) farmer goes to the bank and is denied that money, it is just the attitude, which means our banks are not supportive to our farmers," said Dr Mombeshora.

He urged banks to change their attitude and support farmers, adding that the 99-year leases are only designed to give confidence to farmers that they can invest on the piece of land they have and would not be chased away.

There was renewed hope for farmers that they would access loans from banks this season after Government announced that the 99-year leases had been perfected and ready to be used as collateral.

Banks have reduced lending to the agriculture sector by about 15 percent in the last 17 years after Government embarked on the land reform exercise.

Currently, 16 percent of banks' loan book goes to the agriculture sector, compared to over 30 percent in the 1990s, which resulted in high production levels for all major cash crops.

The RBZ says it is negotiating with banks so that they increase their lending to agriculture to 30 percent.

"We would desire to have that percent (14 percent) go back to yesteryears. . . As you are aware, the Reserve Bank, together with the banking system, we have been supporting agriculture in terms of financing and I think when you look at the outstanding credit at the moment, about 16 percent of total credit is going to the agriculture sector directly.

"We would like to see that percentage grow again and I think in 1996 it was about 35 percent, now (it) is down to 16 percent and we want to get back to 30 percent and . . . we have been discussing with banks so that we can allocate at least 30 percent of their portfolio to the agriculture sector," said Mr Tarinda.

He added that agriculture's value chain linkage with the manufacturing sector could catapult the economy to stardom.

Agriculture contributes about 60 percent of raw materials used in the manufacturing sector, making its revival critical.

The RBZ says it has also licensed about 180 microfinance institutions (MFIs), some of which are more suited to cater for the needs of smallholder farmers in particular and the agriculture sector in general.

Mr Tarinda said already, some of the MFIs have advanced money to farmers and farmers' organisations with a view to growing productivity.

"I think 10 percent of their portfolios is currently within the agriculture sector," he said.