BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

Jun 05 2005 02:02:52:760PM

Zim to buy 500 Belarus tractors

Harare - Zimbabwe is to import 500 tractors from the Eastern European nation of Belarus to boost agricultural production in the southern African nation, state television reported on Saturday.

Davison Mugabe, president of the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU), told the state broadcaster that under the deal Zimbabwe would start receiving tractors next month.

"In this deal we are importing tractors from Belarus - the plant is in Minsk - it's a world-famous plant that produces robust tractors," Mugabe said at a demonstration of the machines on Saturday in Harare.

He did not say how much the deal was worth.

Five years ago, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's government launched a controversial land reform programme that saw former white-owned land seized for redistribution to new black farmers.

Critics say the programme has caused a sharp decline in agricultural production. New farmers have lacked expertise and faced shortages of capital, equipment and other inputs.

Davison Mugabe told the broadcaster that he was in discussions with the government and financial institutions over ways to help individual farmers buy the new tractors. - Sapa-dpa

Source:

http://www.finance24.com/articles/economy/display_article.asp?Nav=ns&lvl2=econ&ArticleID=1518-25_1716542


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