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Agriculture Minister Dr Joseph Made

Harare Bureau
The government will not relax its policy on the production of genetically modified commodities in the country but will work on imposing stiffer measures on the import of horticultural and poultry products.Speaking at the launch of the $2,4 billion agricultural revolving fund by the Zanu-PF Youth League and Lasch Enterprises Joint venture, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made said farmers should focus on producing these products.

“We should start the programme by producing those commodities that are GMO free and I can assure you that we will not allow our country to be contaminated with these commodities because our population is very small relative to the land base that we have,” he said.

He said farmers should take advantage of the recent ban on GMO products derived from soya bean and cereal crops in countries such as Russia, China and Mexico.

Minister Made said stringent measures on imports could, however, only be sustained by consistent supply of the banned commodities.

“I am willing to put the stringent measures on condition that you promise and undertake to make sure that you are consistent in production. I don’t think it would be a problem to get the supermarkets to support you if you are consistent and supply right through the year,” he added.

Speaking at the same event, director general of the joint venture Evans Zininga said more than 800,000 targeted farmers  will benefit at least $3,000 worth of inputs each.

“Instead of giving them cash loans, farmers will receive inputs and they will have access to a ready market for their produce courtesy of Agricultural Marketing Authority,” he said.

He said by the end of the first year, the programme should have more than one million farmers benefiting from it.

“And to avoid the culture of people who do not pay back loans, we will do a thorough investigation to verify the credibility of the recipients and the loans will be insured by First Mutual Life so that in the event a beneficiary dies before paying back a loan, the company gets its money back,” he added.