Speaking at the 76th Annual Commercial Farmers Union congress in Harare this Thursday, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, Retired Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri said government is aware of the presence of white commercial farmers and is eager to formalise their operations by giving them 99 year leases for enhanced agricultural productivity.
“The government’s position is very clear we have noticed that there are a number of commercial farmers without any documentation of which we are now ready to regularise their activities, Hon. Shiri revealed.
President of the Commercial Farmers Union, Mr Andrew Pasco welcomed the development, saying white farmers are ready to work with government for the turn-around of the country’s economy.
“As white commercial farmers we want to commend the fruitful engagement that has happened between ourselves the government thus far,” Mr Pasco said.
Government’s engagement with the white commercial farmers comes hardly a week after the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube revealed that treasury in a position to expedite compensation of farmers under the land reform programme.
