Zimbabwe government pays out $43 million to white farmers

Government has spent nearly $43 million compensating white commercial farmers whose farms were acquired during the country's land reform programme.

Presenting the Mid-Term Policy review Thursday, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Patrick Chinamasa, said despite the economic challenges facing the country, the Government had made strides towards compensating the farmers.

"To date, $42.7 million has been paid out for 43 farms, notwithstanding fiscal constraints being faced by Government. "Government is expediting mapping and valuation of improvements on farms acquired under the Land Reform Programme so that it can compensate the farmers," he said.

The Minister said land rentals and levies paid by beneficiaries of the land reform programme were some of the resources that will be used to compensate farmers. Minister Chinamasa said new farmers had paid $1,6 million in land rentals and $315 000 in development levies by end of last month.

He hailed farmers for their commitment to paying rentals and levies.

The move to compensate farmers comes at a time when the Government is engaging international partners to source funding for the agricultural sector.

The Government recently launched the $500 million command agriculture initiative to boost production.