FAO, EU Agree with Zimbabwe to Help Small Farmers
2012-05-13 02:29:55 Xinhua
The Zimbabwean government has signed with the EU and FAO an agreement to
assist small-holder farmers in the country to improve agriculture
productivity and produce marketing, state radio said on Saturday.
Under the agreement, over 20,000 small-holder farmers will receive technical
support, training and capacity building to enable them to realize maximum
productivity from their land.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Country Representative in
Zimbabwe Dr Gaoju Han said the project is a result of lessons learnt over
the last five years which realizes that if given all the support communal
farmers can contribute significantly to food production in the country.
Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation
Development Seiso Moyo welcomed the agreement which he said is of paramount
importance for a nation that is built on an agriculture driven economy.
European Union (EU) Head of Delegation in Zimbabwe Aldo Dell’ Ariccia called
for the need for such programs to be channeled in line with government
policy so that they do not run parallel to the laws of the land.
Communal farmers used to contribute more than 80 percent of the country’s
food produce and experts say that if given sufficient support, the sector
remains key to taking back the country to its former bread basket status.