Farmers have been provided with the facility to purchase fuel using the newly launched ZiG token at selected service stations.
This comes as the new currency continues to gain acceptance across the board, from airlines, supermarkets and other major service providers.
This also comes as the government has allocated massive resources to the vital agriculture sector to ensure bumper harvests of winter crops, which will fill gaps in food supplies after the devastating summer drought.
Under the arrangement, farmers can buy fuel from the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA), which previously introduced a similar scheme.
For a person to qualify for this scheme, they must be affiliated with a farmers’ organization and then register with the AMA.
Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Professor Obert Giri encouraged farmers to register with the AMA so they can access ZiG coin fuel at Petrotrade filling stations.
Professor Jerry encouraged wheat farmers to take advantage of the facility to improve productivity and reduce production costs.
“Last year, during the winter, farmers, through their unions, were able to obtain fuel in local currency. So, this year we again have this program where farmers can buy fuel in ZiG.
“This program enables farmers to go to the fields and carry out plowing and other operations with ease, while we focus on ensuring the availability of seeds, fertilizers and chemicals,” he said.
Meanwhile, AMA Communications Expert, Mr. Cliff Chidoko, encouraged wheat farmers to register with the organization, so that there is uninterrupted supply of electricity and water to boost this season’s production.
“We are still compiling a database, so farmers should contact us to make sure their operations are not affected,” he said.
Chairman of the Tobacco Growers Union, Mr. Victor Marianica, said they were happy with the fuel facility, adding that the majority of farmers could not afford to pay for fuel in foreign currency.
“This is a positive development because fuel is the critical component of agricultural production. This will help reduce production costs. This facility is not well known to the majority of farmers in rural areas, so there is a need for more awareness programmes,” he said.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president Dr Shadrick Makombe said the scheme had been beneficial.
“Land preparation requires more fuel, so we appreciate that this scheme is still available. What needs to be done is to improve fuel availability so that we continue to benefit as farmers,” he said.
President of the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) in Mashonaland Central, Mr Daniel Chinyimba, said the initiative was a positive development.
“The ZiG fuel will be a welcome relief to farmers as it is becoming increasingly difficult to operate as we are expected to buy in US dollars, yet we get our income in ZiG. When farmers sell their produce they have a ZiG driven component but this can only pay The price of electricity and water, and now that fuel is a big component of our operations, agitation fuel will definitely improve farmers’ productivity.
The ZiG currency was introduced by the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Dr. John Mushayavanhu, when he delivered his maiden monetary policy statement on April 5.
He expressed his confidence that the new currency would turn the tables on the black market, adding that the situation would not collapse under the weight of the US dollar.
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