Major suppliers of basic commodities such as National Foods, Blue Ribbon Foods, Lobels, Schweppes, Cottco, Star Africa, Olivine, Unilever SEA, Cairns, Nestle, Circle Cement and others have seen capacity utilization improving from as low as 10% to as high as 65% on the back of BACOSSI funding.
By January 4, Z$62,2 trillion had been disbursed under ASPEF to 25 477 applications. Over 90% of the fund was directed to tobacco, other crops and livestock, beef, piggery, poultry and support to the horticultural sub-sector. Limited access to credit had become the most binding constraint to new farmers, as they sought to establish themselves on the ground.
As part of its extraordinary interventions, the Reserve Bank also mobilised a total amount of US$142,2 million, for food imports to bridge internal shortages. This was a 24,5% increase, compared to 2006 total expenditure of US$114.2 million, which went towards food imports in that year.
Other disbursements included Maguta – $3,038 trillion at December 31, Dairy support – $2,196 trillion at January 5, Seed development programmes – $495 billion, Women and Youth SME Facility – $227 billion disbursed out of $1,5 trillion facility and Rural Business Facility – $4 trillion approved for the wholesalers and a total of 2 990 retailers will be restocked under this programme.
No figures were provided for farm mechanisation scheme but 85 combine harvesters and 2 125 tractors had been procured in addition to 45 000 scotch carts and 50 000 animal drawn ploughs while more than 1 300 houses and stands funded under LARP.
Through Noczim, RBZ procured fuel amounting to US$312.2m, a 130.6% increase on 2006 Â