Govt Sets Tobacco Target

Source from:  herald.co.zw By Martin Kadzere 08/22/2007

GOVERNMENT has made an ambitious target of 120 million kilogrammes of tobacco for the 2007/08 farming season, a senior Government official announced yesterday. Deputy Agriculture Minister Mr David Chapfika said that about 60 000 hectares would be put under the crop. Agribank chief executive Mr Sam Malaba also announced that 15 000 hectares would be planted under the Agribank/Tobacco In-dustry and Marketing Board facility. Mr Malaba and Mr Chapfika made the revelations during the signing ceremony of a US$10 million loan facility between the PTA Bank and Agribank. Mr Chapfika said this was part of the Government's main policy thrust of massive production in all aspects of agriculture. "In line with the strategies to resuscitate quality tobacco production, Government is targeting tobacco production at 60 000 hectares . . . and this translates into 120 million kilogrammes," said Mr Chapfika. "Our main objective is to increase national self sufficiency in terms of food security, industrial and stockfeed manufacturing and also trigger investment in agriculture to contribute towards economic growth and development." Tobacco output has been on a massive decline over the past seven years. At its peak in 2000, about 210 million kg were produced. Last year, only 54 million kg were produced. Over the years, tobacco has been the country's main foreign currency earner. Mr Chapfika also said a minimum of 2,4 million hectares of maize, sorghum and millet would also be financed by the Govern-ment during the forthcoming season. Targeted farmers would be A1, communal, old resettle-ment and small-scale commercial farmers. "Operations Maguta will target the production of one million hactare of maize and 200 000ha of small grains," added Mr Chapfika. He said a minimum of 400 000 hectares, 120 000 hectares and 200 000 hectares would be put under cotton, soybeans and groundnut production, respectively. On the other hand, Agribank was expected finance 500 000 hectares of maize and 100 000 hectares of small grains. The deputy minister said Government acknowledged challenges besetting the agriculture sector and had put in place mechanisms to address current challenges. These included the US$200 million Chinese facility to finance inputs and capital equipment for the agriculture sector, the Government/RBZ Agriculture Farm Equipment Mechanisation Programme and the US$25 million Zimbabwe Farmers Develop-ment Trust/Chinese facility for tractors and related farming implements. Since the beginning of the year, Agribank has disbursed $305,9 billion under the Agricultural Sector Productivity Enhancement Faci-lity. This has provided both working capital and capital expenditure funding for winter wheat, horticulture, poultry, piggery, beef and dairy, irrigation and other crops. A further $21,2 billion has been advanced to communal farmers under the Public Sector Investment Programme. Enditem