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Agriculture and food security
Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ)
Weekly Media Update 2006-19
Monday May 8^th 2006 – Sunday May 14^th 2006

DURING the week the government Press carried tacit acknowledgement by authorities that resettled farmers who had benefited from its land reforms had failed to productively use the land. This was reflected in 21 of the 33 stories that the papers carried on the chaos besetting agriculture. However, the papers did not view the farmers’ alleged failure as an indication of government’s bungled land reforms.

Instead, the reports merely amplified official rhetoric demanding more commitment from farmers without explaining how this was possible in a sector riddled with numerous problems. For example, The Herald (9/5 and 12/5) restricted itself to reporting government officials threatening to repossess under-utilised farms from resettled farmers without balancing this with government’s agricultural policies.

While narrowly attributing poor production to farmers, The Herald (9/5) also diverted attention from government’s skewed policies by blaming the country’s untenable food situation on "successive droughts and legal challenges to the land reform".

The other 12 stories the official media carried simplistically projected a rosy picture of the sector.

ZBH’s coverage was no different. The broadcaster carried conflicting reports on the general state of agriculture in the 66 stories it aired on the subject. For instance, early in the week ZTV (9/5, 6 & 8pm) reported that "land preparations and provision of inputs is almost complete in most wheat growing areas around the country," adding that farmers were "optimistic of a good harvest due to good rains this year".

However, in the same bulletins, farmers’ organisations were reported noting that although there was an improvement in the distribution of inputs as compared to last season, this year’s winter productions was "facing problems" due to power shortages.

And while ZTV (10/5, 6&8pm) reported traditional leaders praising government’s land reforms, which they claimed had "helped the majority of blacks", delegates to the National Agriculture Planning Conference noted otherwise.

They were quoted, in the same bulletins, bemoaning low production "six years after the implementation of the land reform programme" saying "inadequate financial resources, delays in sourcing inputs and late announcement of producer prices" were the "challenges" affecting farming. They then called on "government to revamp the sector and flush out non-performers to pave way for serious farmers."

Deputy Agriculture Minister Sylvester Nguni concurred, saying "we can’t pretend everything is well year-in-year-out."

Spot FM (10/5, 8pm) and Radio Zimbabwe (11/5, 6am) carried similar reports.

The government Press relied more on official statements in its coverage as reflected in Fig 1.

Fig. 1 Voice distribution in government papers

Although ZBH carried diverse views on agriculture, the broadcaster still failed to present a coherent picture on the problems bedeviling the sector. See Fig 2.

Fig. 2 Voice distribution on ZBH

In contrast, the private media continued to expose the problems in agriculture as mainly stemming from government’s inconsistent policies in 34 stories (Press [29] and private stations [5]) they devoted to the matter.

For instance, the Zimbabwe Independent (12/5) recorded two new incidents of farm occupations by ruling party officials, a development the paper and The Standard (14/5) argued was contrary to government claims that land reforms had been concluded long ago.

Besides, The Financial Gazette (11/5), the Independent and The Standard reported that the under-utilisation of Kondozi Estate, which was seized by government, had compelled the authorities to consider returning it to its original owners.

No official comment was cited confirming this latest development.

However, it emerged in The Herald (12/5) and The Daily Mirror (12/5) through Security and Lands Minister Didymus Mutasa that government only planned to return cattle, sheep and goats "as they were not part and parcel of the acquisition exercise".

The five stories that the private stations carried continued to expose the country’s precarious food situation.

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