Zimbabwe has lost over $17billion in agricultural exports since the launching of the land reform program, an economist has said.

John Robertson, quoted by the Financial Gazette,  said that since the year 2000, Zimbabwe has lost approximately $17 billion in exports and production.  Robertson said, “to calculate the total loss incurred by the country… the $16,9 billion worth of production lost would only be the start (and) Zimbabwe became a net importer … from 1998 as most of the food-processing companies reduced output, then closed down when commercial farmers suppliers went down.

“Others were forced to close when price controls were imposed. Non-food agricultural declines such as cotton and timber production also caused the failure of most textile, clothing and paper-making companies…food, textiles and paper imports over the past 20 years have more than surpassed aggregate exports then.”