Zimbabwe to get 200,000 tonnes of fertilizer from China • Tuesday, Nov 21, 2006
Zimbabwe is to receive some 200,000 tonnes of fertilizer from China under the Asian country’s US$3 billion aid programme for Africa, a Zimbabwean official said in Harare.
Zimbabwe, which is facing a shortage of fertiliser for the coming farming season, has imported some of the product from neighbouring South Africa.
Agriculture minister Joseph Made said part of the Chinese consignment, whose value he did not specify, was on the way to Zimbabwe.
He said the country was also expecting other Chinese agricultural aid in the form of agro-chemicals, combine harvestors and tractors.
“Fertiliser helps boost production and the consignment from China complements our efforts and those of local industry and farmers,” Made said.
Zimbabwe, with an agriculture-based economy, is equally facing a shortage of tractors and combine harvestors.
The shortages are linked to the chronic lack of foreign currency to finance imports in the country under sanctions imposed by Western countries over its controversial agriculture policies and human rights concerns.
