The donation will also boost the capacity utilization of vegetable oil processor Olivine Industries, which has been operating below capacity because of a shortage of raw materials.

    The government identified Olivine Industries as a leading producer of vegetable oil in the country and decided to pass on the soya beans to it for processing.

    The company's managing director, Jonas Mushangari, said his company would pay the government for the seed.

    Outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Yuan Nansheng, who leaves Harare on Wednesday for a new posting in Suriname, presented the gift to Zimbabwe's Finance Minister Tendai Biti at a brief ceremony held at the Olivine Industries plant in Harare's Willowvale industrial area.

    Several other cabinet ministers and deputy ministers also attended the handover ceremony.

    Ambassador Yuan said China and Zimbabwe enjoyed very profound and traditional relations and that Zimbabwe regards China as her reliable all-weather friend.

    "Considerable achievements have been made in the fields of trade and investment