Agriculture Reporter
The second batch of 1 300 tractors, combine harvesters and implements acquired under the Zimbabwe-Belarus Farm Mechanisation Programme has arrived in the country and President Mnangagwa is expected to commission the facility at the end of the month.
In a statement yesterday, the Chief Director of Agriculture Engineering and Mechanisation in the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Development, Engineer Edwin Zimhunga confirmed that farming equipment from Belarus had arrived in the country awaiting commissioning by the President.
“We are happy to announce that the bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and Belarus continue to grow as demonstrated by the arrival of 1 337 new tractors, 16 combine harvesters and implements under the agriculture mechanization facility signed by the two countries,” said Engineer Edwin Zimhunga.
Under Phase one of the Belarus mechanisation drive, Zimbabwe took delivery of 474 tractors, 60 combine harvesters, 210 planPresters and 5 lowbed trucks which have been distributed to farmers through the Land Bank and CBZ.
Agriculture expert, Dorothy Mandinzwepi said that agricultural production was set to increase because of the mechanisation programme currently taking place.
“Farmers using agricultural machinery can significantly reduce labour costs. Furthermore, agricultural machinery can perform land levelling and land preparation, which effectively improve the utilization rate of agricultural resources and reduce the need for weed and insect pest control. In addition, agricultural mechanization can also carry out combined fertilization and sowing, which not only ensures sowing accuracy but also reduces the cost of seeds and fertilizer. Our local farmers are set to harvest huge benefits from this Government’s programme of farm mechanisation,” said Mandinzwepi.
Last year in October, a Belarus delegation met officials from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Development to discuss co-operation and continued support in the supply of farm mechanisation equipment to Zimbabwe.
