Market
Information
News
China to open its markets
to Zimbabwean farm produce
Through economic and technical coo p e ra t i o n a g r e e m e n t s s i g n e d
between Zimbabwe and China in
December 2015, Zimbabwe will
soon receive around US$6 billion for
its national housing delivery and
agriculture programmes from
China.
US$4 billion will go to farming and
the remainder to housing provision,
and The Sunday Mail understands
Government is finalising the
modalities of both projects.
Macro-Economic Planning and
Investment Promotion Minister Dr
Obert Mpofu, who was in China last
week to discuss the deals, said the
funding and subsequent
development would spur economic
turnaround and create employment
on a large scale.
www.farmersreviewafrica.com
China, he said, had agreed to open
its markets to farm produce from
Zimbabwe in a deal that would
change the fortunes of rural
households.
"We have prioritised agriculture and
housing as the most critical projects
for economic development. So, we
went there to engage the Chinese
and if these projects are approved,
we are likely to get a substantive
amount of money which will turn
around the economy.
" We m e t w i t h o u r C h i n e s e
counterparts in agriculture and
commerce; we also met the VicePresident of China and there seems
to be goodwill on the part of the
Chinese who are also interested in
horticulture, beef, citrus fruits and
organic products. These products
[7]
FARMERS
REVIEW AFRICA
can be supplied to Chinese markets
within a day thus we have also
engaged them to open their markets
for trade in agriculture," Dr Mpofu
said.
"Agriculture in Zimbabwe employs 67
percent of the population, which is
about 4.2 million people in the
production and manufacturing sector.
Thus investing in the sector will help
in creating more jobs in the country.'’
July - August 2016