- Maputo (Reuters) -- Commercial farmers fleeing harassment
and economic collapse in Zimbabwe were helping to shore up the rural economy
of Mozambique, Helder Muteia, the agriculture minister, said at the weekend.
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- The government had already granted permission for 60
farmers from Zimbabwe to settle in Manica province, which borders eastern
Zimbabwe. "They are doing a great job," Muteia said. "They
are investing not only in agriculture but also in building infrastructure
such as roads and bridges."
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- About 100 farmers have applied to cultivate land in Manica,
but Muteia said Mozambique was looking for investment in all its provinces
and had 34 million square kilometres available. He said the farmers from
Zimbabwe would produce tobacco, potatoes, maize, sunflowers, meat and dairy
products. A number of farmers have settled in northern Niassa province
under the joint South African-Mozambican Mozagrius project, although Sweden
stepped in as the main partner after South Africa withdrew from the scheme.
"They are giving all the help in reformulating and reorganising the
project and, in the future, maybe in financing the farmers," Muteia
said. "Banks see financing agriculture as a high-risk business and
farmers as not paying their debts. We have to work to change that and this
means having legislation and courts that function properly."
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- Source:Business Report (SA)
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