Govt Buys US$20 Million Agric Equipment From America

The government bought a wide assortment of agricultural equipment worth US$20 million from US-based John Deere. It consists of 500 tractors, 200 pieces of machinery and 40 combine harvesters.

The first batch of the equipment has reportedly docked in South Africa and will be transported to Zimbabwe soon. Speaking to The Sunday Mail, Afgri Equipment Zimbabwe (the franchise holder of John Deere equipment) managing director Graeme Smith said:

On the first US$20 million worth of equipment that is arriving, there will be a total of 500 tractors, 200 pieces of machinery (100 disc harrows and 100 planters) and 40 combine harvesters with the appropriate heads.

So there are tractors ranging from 50-horse power to 95-horse power. There are combine harvesters with both wheat and maize headers, and there is also equipment to go behind the tractors, so there will be some planters and some harrows in the initial US$20 million order.

In August this year, the Government of Zimbabwe signed a deal with John Deere for the latter to provide farming equipment worth US$50 million.

Farmers who will access the equipment would have to pay a 20 per cent deposit on the value of the equipment and service the balance over three years at interest rates of not more than 8 per cent.

More: The Sunday Mail