Oliver Kazunga, Acting Business Editor

THE Zimbabwe-United Arab Emirates (UAE) food and agribusiness virtual summit, which is set for tomorrow has been oversubscribed registering close to 1 100 participants against the event organisers target of 500.

The one-day business event is being organised by DEAT Capital, a Zimbabwean trade and investment consulting firm, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), and Dubai 2020 Expo.

Speaking by telephone last night, DEAT Capital managing director Mr Nicky Moyo said all was set for the summit.

“It’s all systems go. We can actually safely tell you that we now have around 1 100 participants that have registered for the summit, and we’ve more than doubled our 500 participants expectation.

“This is attributed to a combination of both domestic interest and also the confidence the Government has portrayed especially after the Global agreement on compensation with former commercial farmers,” he said.

In July last year, the Government and former farm owners signed the US$3,5 billion Global Compensation Deed, bringing restoration of trust between the two parties as in the past there has been a long-drawn process that bedeviled policy planning and implementation for the country.

The pact was also done in the context of Vision 2030 and to ensure its timely realisation through increased agricultural productivity, among other initiatives.

At tomorrow’s summit, Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka is expected to give a keynote address while other keynotes are also expected from UAE.

The discussions of the summit will be around food security issues in Zimbabwe and UAE, agriculture market opportunities in UAE, Zimbabwe agriculture and food policies as well as trade finance and opportunities. -@okazunga