Zimbabwe to withdraw aid for black farmers-report

HARARE, Mar 5 (Reuters) President Robert Mugabe's government will soon withdraw financial support for black-owned commercial farms resettled under Zimbabwe's controversial land reform policy, state media reported today.

The move follows charges by central bank governor Gideon Gono during a parliamentary meeting last week that the reforms had caused chronic food shortages in the one-time food exporter.

Under the land programme begun in 2000, farmland was seized from whites and redistributed to landless blacks. Critics say some of the black farmers lacked the equipment and expertise to run the large farms.

The state-run Herald reported that Gono, whose central bank has funded most of the farms, told farmers over the weekend the government would be ''weaning off'' those who were given large-scale commercial farmland.

''It is now seven years since we reclaimed our land but we continue looking at government for support,'' Gono said. ''Next season we will wean off all A2 (black) farmers as they are now grown-ups.'' Gono accused large-scale farmers of selling subsidies received from the government and failing to repay loans.

He, however, said the government would continue supporting small-scale, subsistence farmers.

During his testimony before a parliamentary committee last week, Gono said it was ''a shame'' Zimbabwe continued to import food despite carrying out land reforms.

Minister of State for National Security Didymus Mutasa, who is in charge of land reform, reiterated a government warning that resettled farmers risked losing land if they did not utilise it properly.

Food shortages continue to drive the country's inflation -- at almost 1,600 percent the highest in the world -- while grain imports have stretched thin foreign currency reserves.

Mugabe's government announced last year that it had contracted suppliers to import 565,000 tonnes of maize from South Africa and Zambia.

The UN World Food Programme has said 1.4 million Zimbabweans, or 15 percent of the population, will require food aid until the next harvest in April.

Aid agencies say production from the current growing season could be hit by below average rains and the shortage of inputs.

REUTERS PDM DS1547