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By Obert Chifamba
Zimbabwe could soon resume beef exports to European markets, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made has said.
He revealed this yesterday after meeting European Union Head of Delegation in Zimbabwe, Ambassador Aldo Dell’ Ariccia.
Minister Made said Government’s focus was on helping smallholder farmers.
“As we welcome the EU initiative, we should realise that their involvement with the smallholder farmers is to boost food security through enhanced productivity while there is also a concerted effort to prop the livestock sector by reducing mortality rates and incidences of transboundary diseases,” he said.
Zimbabwe will have to strengthen extension services, irrigation usage and livestock husbandry. A high level of extension services in livestock production will enable farmers to react in cases of disease outbreaks to allow the industry to export quality products.
Ambassador Dell’ Ariccia said the EU had been trying to re-engage Zimbabwe since 2009 with the intention of ironing out trade barriers and start supporting smallholder agriculture.
“Trade between Zimbabwe and EU is flourishing in certain products. The EU very much appreciates the high quality of Zimbabwean meat, tobacco and horticultural products and is even supporting Zimbabwe in developing a trade policy,” Ambassador Dell’ Ariccia said.
He said together with the Agriculture Ministry, they were looking at the possibility of setting up an EU information centre in Harare to boost trade and facilitate high dissemination of market information, especially for horticultural produce.
Asked to comment on the EU’s decision to extend sanctions on Zimbabwe for another year, he said: “The EU will seriously consider what the three guarantors of the GNU will say so that we solve the situation currently hampering trade and good relations.”
At the turn of the century Zimbabwe, had an annual beef export quota of 9 100 tonnes to EU markets under the Beef and Veal Protocol under the Lome 1V Convention.