OPINION: Sanctions Are Hurting Farmers

An opinion piece published by the Daily News has stated that sanctions are hurting farmers and why listed the reasons why they thought so.

…..this has resulted in high cost of inputs, leading to Zimbabwe’s produce being uncompetitive on the regional and international market.

Market access for areas like horticulture, sugar, beef and cotton, among other crops was negatively affected. Horticulture was the fast- est growing sector and generated significant amounts of foreign currency, and at one point becoming the second largest foreign exchange earner after tobacco. The horticulture export industry grew from US$32 million in 1990/91 to about US$143 million in the 1998/99 season.

However, because of sanctions, the country lost most of its niche and lucrative markets for horticulture products. Previously, farmers used to export horticulture produce to the Netherlands and the UK. However, these markets were closed due to sanctions, resulting in a significant decline in the industry.

By 2005, horticulture exports had gone down to about US$72 million, with the value further tumbling to US$40 million by 2009. These evil sanctions have not spared the cotton industry, which is failing to access the EU markets directly, but only through middlemen, resulting in the loss of between 5 to 10 percent of the value of produce.

HOT DEALS:
itel A70 - (128GB, 3GB RAM) $89,
itel A70 - (256GB, 4GB RAM) $99
itel P40 (128GB, 4GB), (6000mAh) $99
itel P40 (64GB, 4G), (6000mAh) $93
Cash on Delivery in Harare & Bulawayo. Tinotumira kwamuri inosvika.

WhatsApp: 0783 450 793

The cotton industry is failing to pay for inputs, spare parts and machinery to companies outside the country. Payments are blocked; foreign companies demand first class bank guarantors and funds take long to process.

The US and EU have however maintained that sanctions are targeted and only affect those on the list.

More: Daily News