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Zim farmers shun Malawi
By
Denis Mzembe - 15-08-2002 |
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Many white Zimbabwean farmers who are being evicted from their farms are interested in settling in Malawi but the country has stricter requirements than neighbouring Zambia and Mozambique where they are eventually heading to.
In an interview yesterday, Limbe Leaf Tobacco general manager Charles Graham said the Zambian and Mozambican governments are providing better lease arrangements and relaxed immigration requirements for the farmers on dormant land.
“Those governments are offering long term opportunities to the farmers and are also encouraging the banks to help the farmers with low interest rates.
“They are being encouraged to revitalise dormant land because these farmers come with a wealth of experience in food crop production and other areas in as far as the industry is concerned. So Malawi is not taking advantage of these experienced farmers,” said Graham.
He said the Zimbabwean government has forbidden the white farmers to leave the country with either machinery or capital “so they do not have the capacity and it’s frightening to borrow from the banks when interest rates are at 43 per cent”.
Graham said over 30 farmers have so far trekked to Zambia while many more are Mozambique-bound. In Malawi only two former Zimbabwean white farmers have been engaged by some of the country’s agricultural firms in Kasungu.
“But there is a possibility that some of the farmers especially in the tobacco and maize industries may be linked with companies like Limbe Leaf and Dimon who may assist with leasing and capital requirements,” Graham said.
According to commerce and industry sources, some of the white Zimbabwean farmers have been trying to negotiate with the banks to buy farms impounded from loan defaulting local farmers but the interest rates have been forbidding.
“But in any case, Malawi is also at a disadvantage because the available arable land is only about a quarter of what is available in Zimbabwe,” said the source who added: “This is a highly political issue and we would not want to be involved.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Lilian Patel said she is not aware of any Zimbabwean farmers trying to relocate to Malawi. But she said Malawi is open to any investor.
She said Malawi and Zimbabwe are holding a joint permanent commission of cooperation meeting this month in Mangochi “and its possible the issue may crop up during the meeting”.
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