Zimbabwe revises growth for this year from 1.7 percent to 3.7 percent

Zimbabwe has revised its projected growth for this year from 1.7 percent to 3.7 percent because of the expected bumper harvest.

According to the Herald, this was announced by Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa when he addressed military officers attending the Joint Command and Staff Course Number 30 in Harare.

“We have never spent as much money as we have done on agriculture as we have done this season,” Chinamasa was quoted as saying.

“I am pleased that with the blessings of the Almighty, who gave us abundant rains, we are anticipating growth in agriculture. In fact, we are revising growth in the agricultural sector which in turn we are revising the overall growth. I anticipate after the revision our growth to be around 3.7 percent from 1.7 percent or so that we had anticipated in the 2017 National Budget.

“We are looking at maize, we are anticipating production of around US$3 billion from all sectors – Command (Agriculture), Presidential Input Scheme, A2 farmers, A1 farmers, those who did not subscribe to Command Agriculture we are expecting grain delivery of 3 million metric tonnes. This is over and above what we achieved last year of around 1 million metric tonnes, even less around 750 000 metric tonnes.”

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