Brazil, which provided agricultural equipment to Zimbabwe under its Brazil Africa More Food Programme, was involved in the identification of beneficiaries because it wanted to make sure that the equipment went to the intended beneficiaries.
Deputy Minister for Agriculture Paddy Zhanda told the Senate that the equipment was not going to be given to individuals but would be given to groups of farmers who would work with the ministry’s mechanisation department.
“That service is not going to be free but will be paid for so as to enable government to use those proceeds to pay back the loan,” Zhanda said.
“The Brazilians are involved in identifying the beneficiaries of that programme who are mainly A1 farmers and some irrigation schemes.”
Asked by Senator Shadreck Chipanga whether the Brazilians would go down to Mzarabani or Chipinge to identify the beneficiaries, Zhanda responded: “I said the beneficiaries have already been identified and in the identification team the Brazilians were also involved because they want to make sure the beneficiaries of that programme are the intended beneficiaries. When we come to the next phase the same method will be used. So if there is need for the Brazilians to be in the team of the identification programme and there is need to go to Muzarabani they will go there.”
Brazil provided a $98.6 million facility to Zimbabwe. It will be in three tranches. The first tranche of $38 million worth of equipment was commissioned by President Robert Mugabe in May.
Q & A:
SENATOR CHIPANGA: I would like to find out from the Minister of Agriculture if the minister is in a position to tell us whether the equipment from Brazil that was commissioned by the President has been distributed and the criterion to be used to benefit and how soon that will be.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE (LIVESTOCK) (MR. ZHANDA): The programme is under the Brazilian Africa More Food Programme initiated by the Brazilian Government for Africa. It happens that Zimbabwe is the first beneficiary of that programme. It is a US$98.6 million facility in 3 tranches, the first is US$38 million dollars worth of equipment that was commissioned by the President. The Brazilians are involved in identifying the beneficiaries of that programme who are mainly A1 farmers and some irrigation schemes. This equipment is not going to be given to individuals but to identified A1 farms depending on how many hectares there are, how many farmers and how many tractors are needed to provide tillage on that particular farm. A committee is formed and as a Ministry we attach our personnel from the Mechanisation department to be part of the committee to provide a service. That service is not going to be free but will be paid for so as to enable Government to use those proceeds to pay back the loan. Identification has been done and beneficiaries have started receiving the irrigation equipment and programme. After the successful implementation of that first phase we will then go into the second phase. Those who might have come across some newspapers, you saw that the Brazilians were here to ensure that the programme is run as tightly as possible and the beneficiaries are only those which the programme is intended for.
SENATOR CHIPANGA: Did I hear well that the Brazilians are going to identify the beneficiaries and if so are they going to go down to Mzarabani or Chipinge?
MR. ZHANDA: I said the beneficiaries have already been identified and in the identification team the Brazilians were also involved because they want to make sure the beneficiaries of that programme are the intended beneficiaries. When we come to the next phase the same method will be used. So if there is need for the Brazilians to be in the team of the identification programme and there is need to go to Muzarabani they will go there.
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