by Rungano Dzikira

Government maize import substitution programme, Command Agriculture Scheme, has managed to lure more financiers in an effort to complement Sakunda holdings, which has been the major financier of this programme since it was initiated.

Among the financiers is Homelink, National Foods, Northern Farming, Irvines, and Staywell Trading, a commodity brokerage division.

“Homelink Group, a subsidiary of RBZ has poured in 6 million, which will be channelled towards beef production, while Irvines Zimbabwe is supporting with poultry and fowl runs in the country’s ten provinces.

“Sakunda has also availed $10 million for the purchase of cattle for Matebeleland North and South province.”

The initiative which started off with a bias towards maize production has since shifted to cattle, fisheries, poultry, and livestock.

“Other financiers include National Foods, Staywell Trading and Northern farming which are set to work with selected contracted farmers with at least 71 000 hectares having been set aside for contract maize and soybean production for the 2018/19 farming season.

So far, farmers have committed 208 250 hectares under Command Agriculture.

National Foods is one of the largest manufacturers and marketers of food products in the country, Northern farming is a top agricultural firm which has partnered state-owned ARDA to invest $30 million in developing macadamia and avocado plantations in the Eastern Highlands, while Staywell is a commodity brokerage division for Origen Zimbabwe into grain procurement and trading.