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New farm takeovers threaten sugarcane production
The Herald (Zimbabwe)
June 07, 2006

http://www1.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=4088&cat=1&livedate=6/07/2006

A NEW wave of farm takeovers in the Lowveld is threatening sugarcane production while the current shortage of sugar on the formal market is a result of unchecked exports, the House of Assembly heard yesterday.

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Land Reform, Agriculture, Resettlement and Water Development Cde Walter Mzembi told the House that there was need for land audit in the Lowveld.

Cde Mzembi was presenting the committee’s report on the viability of the sugar industry.

"Your committee learnt that there has been an emergency of what are called A5 farmers. There has been a fresh wave of farm takeovers in the Lowveld where these so-called A5 farmers with the assistance of land officers in Chiredzi and Masvingo were seizing plots with ready to harvest sugarcane crops.

"Farmers told your committee during the stakeholders meetings that they were tired of being moved from one farm to another.

"Ministry officials were cited as the culprits in these movements.

"Greedy people must not be allowed to harvest where they did not sow," he said.

The committee recommended that there should be an impartial and independent board to carry out the land audit in the Lowveld, especially for sugarcane growers.

Cde Mzembi said there were also multiple farm owners and in some cases the land was being allocated to those without the knowledge of sugarcane farming.

The committee, he said, noted that there was no provision of inputs to sugarcane farmers by the Government yet this was supposed to be regarded as strategic crop.

Farmers were accessing inputs such as fertilizer and chemicals at high costs from the millers while the delay in finalising the issue of the 99-year leases was slowing down investment in the industry.

Turning to the shortage of sugar, Cde Mzembi said this was not a result of low production but of illegal exports by both consumers and producers.

Milling companies, he said, were producing more than enough for the local market.

"Your committee came to the conclusion that manufacturers were exporting more at the expense of the local market.

"Milling companies told your committee that they export 70 percent of the total production and 30 percent is for the local market," Cde Mzembi said.

The lawmaker said the committee was concerned, however, that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had never mentioned how much revenue was being generated from sugar exports, adding that there was need for the Government to intervene in such matters of economic importance.

Cde Mzembi, said the legislators were surprised to hear stakeholders in the sugar industry complaining about the price of sugar, which they said was low yet they were the ones who determined the price.

The price of the commodity is determined by the Zimbabwe Sugar Sales which comprises of directors of Triangle Limited, Hippo Valley Estates, Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union and Chiredzi Sugarcane Farmers Association.

The Ministry of Industry and International Trade has no input in determining the price of sugar as it plays a monitoring role.

Contributing to the debate, Chief George Chimombe of Manicaland said the Government should speedily deal with the corrupt allocation of land in the Lowveld.

He said the recommendations of the committee should be taken seriously as some ministers had adopted a business-as-usual approach to serious recommendations pertaining to their ministries that would have been put forward in the House.

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