AIDSISA hosts agribusiness breakfast seminar

AGRICULTURAL Industry Development Support Institute for Southern Africa (AIDSISA) will this week host an agri-business breakfast seminar to unpack the myths surrounding the 99-year lease agreement offered to the new farmers as well as the issue of agricultural insurance.

The seminar titled Agribusiness Breakfast Seminar will be held at the Harare Exhibition Park on Thursday.

It will be addressed by Agriculture minister Anxious Masuka and Finance minister Mthuli Ncube. Prominent farmer and chairperson of the Old Mutual Life Assurance Company and former CEO of OK Zimbabwe, Willard Zireva will be the moderator.

AIDSISA founder and CEO of JT Holdings Jeffery Takawira, who is also the organiser of the event, said other keynote speakers at the event will include Fanwell Mutogo, CEO of the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe and the general manager of AFC Insurance Company.

Topics to be covered at the breakfast seminar include: access to finance using the 99-year lease agreement; productivity equals access to finance, myth or reality?; the 99-year lease agreement — challenges for the financial services sector; towards agribusiness insurance and risk management — role and capacity of insurance sector.

According to Takawira, it is important for farmers and those involved in agriculture to fully understand the intricacies involved in the business of agriculture.

“Most farmers went into agriculture as a result of the government’s highly successful land reform programme but not many are knowledgeable about the 99-year lease agreement that they have signed and what it means to them. They also need to hear from the experts why it is important to insure your farming produce or harvests,” he said.

Takawira added that the presence of Masuka and Ncube would add more weight to the seminar.

“I urge all farmers and those that are involved in the business of agriculture either as suppliers or service providers to attend this event as it might just change their fortunes,” he says.

AIDSISA is a subsidiary of JT Holdings Africa which is a regional organisation that has various subsidiaries in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.

JT Holdings Africa is involved in the businesses of agriculture, mining, transport and logistics, energy and timber processing, among others.-newsday