Kudakwashe Tagwirei Fronts Land Tenure System To Enhance Agricultural Productivity and Youth Empowerment
By Desire Tshuma
Zimbabwe’s land tenure system is undergoing significant reforms aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and economic growth.
The government has introduced a new system that converts 99-year leases into transferable documents, allowing farmers to use their land as collateral to access loans and investments and this move is expected to unlock the economic value of land, promote agricultural development, and create wealth for citizens, particularly youths and women.
Chairperson for Land Tenure System, Kudakwashe Tagwirei supported by his Land Tenure System team is on a nationwide tour implementing land tenure reforms so that the nation uses land productively.
“Farmers can now sell, subdivide, or use their land as collateral to access financing. Land documents are now bankable enabling farmers to access loans and investments,” said Tagwirei.
“The sale or transfer of agricultural land requires government authorization to ensure local control. Foreigners are prohibited from owning agricultural land to maintain local control .”
Tagwirei explained this last Wednesday in Bulawayo at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) when he hosted multitudes of youths, students and women both from Bulawayo province and Matebeleland North.
The government has established an infrastructural facility with a seed capital of $50 million to support infrastructure development for A2 farmers and infrastructure loans for A1 farmers.
The objectives of Land Tenure Reform is to improve access to financing and investments for farmers. This will promote economic growth and unlock the economic value of land and create wealth for citizens.
The initiative will empower youths and women and rovide opportunities for youths and women to access land and participate in agricultural development.
Moreover this will ensure that land ownership remains in the hands of locals, while attracting foreign investment and expertise .
