Published: 6 hours ago

The Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) has commended the Government for its ongoing efforts to enhance the business environment through initiatives aimed at reducing the cost of doing business in the agricultural sector.

Speaking at the Horticulture Development Council (HDC) Investor Forum held last Thursday - which featured the "Horticulture Investors Pitch to the Zimbabwean Economy" - CFU president Mr Liam Philp praised the reforms as a major step towards revitalising agriculture and attracting both domestic and foreign investment.

Mr Philp, whose union represents large-scale commercial farmers, said the Government's measures were beginning to address long-standing challenges that have hindered sectoral growth.

"I want to take this opportunity to thank the Head of State and the Government of Zimbabwe for all the efforts they are putting into improving the business environment and the cost of doing business. There seems to be a strong commitment and tremendous engagement," said Mr Philp.

He added: "We have seen the first draft of policy reforms come out for the livestock sector, and it was very encouraging. There is a lot of work happening in terms of support. We recently submitted recommendations because there is a lot of reform that needs to happen in agriculture."

In September, the Government began implementing bold measures to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks that have long constrained farmers and agribusinesses. These include reducing multiple fees and simplifying regulatory compliance procedures under the first phase of the ease of doing business and regulatory reform programme.

Agriculture has been chosen as the testing ground for these reforms, with livestock, dairy and stockfeed producers already benefiting from significant reductions in regulatory fees and permit costs.

Mr Philp said the reforms would enhance productivity, improve competitiveness and strengthen investor confidence in the sector.

The CFU also noted that while challenges such as high input costs, energy shortages and limited access to finance continue to affect the industry, increased policy consistency, infrastructure investment and Government engagement with private players were yielding encouraging results.

Development finance institutions (DFIs) attending the HDC forum echoed the CFU's sentiments, acknowledging that the Government's commitment to improving the ease of doing business was one of the reasons they were considering renewed cooperation with Zimbabwe.

According to the DFIs, Zimbabwe remains one of the most promising destinations for horticultural investment due to its favourable climate, fertile soils and reliable sunlight that enable year-round production across various agro-ecological zones.

Growing investor interest aligns with the HDC's vision to transform Zimbabwe's horticultural industry into a US$2,5 billion sector by 2030 through sustainable investment, value addition and strategic partnerships.

Zimbabwe's agriculture sector continues to serve as a cornerstone of the country's economic recovery, contributing significantly to gross domestic product and export earnings.

Recent reforms - including investment incentives, currency stabilisation measures and improvements in land tenure systems - have also been cited as key drivers expected to boost investor confidence and unlock further growth.
- Chronicle

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