Caiphas Chimhete
14 November 2009
ZIMBABWE is set to experience the "worst ever agriculture season" since the beginning of the chaotic land reform programme nearly a decade ago, farmers warned last week. The Commercial Farmers' Union (CFU), which represents mainly white commercial farmers, said renewed farm invasions, shortages of inputs, as well as the inaccessibility of funding from financial institutions had thrown preparations for the summer cropping season into disarray.
The CFU warned that the country had to brace for a national food crisis never experienced in the past 10 years.
The union's chief executive officer, Hendrik Olivier, said farming preparations had virtually stopped due to disturbances rocking the farming sector.
"We are possibly sitting on the worst agricultural season since Independence and definitely the worst since the land invasions," Olivier said.
At least 152 of the estimated 400 remaining commercial farmers, who were facing prosecution for refusing to vacate their farms -- were evicted through the courts recently, a situation which will have a bearing on the national agricultural output.
Even black resettled farmers suspected of being anti-President Robert Mugabe's administration are having their farms repossessed and given to the 85-year-old leader's loyalists.
White commercial farmers are being prevented from planting while the once-productive farms acquired by the government are producing either very little or nothing.
"The summer cropping season is upon us and the situation is extremely serious," CFU president Deon Theron said.
"As commercial farmers we are being prevented from producing crops and the highly productive farms that have been acquired by the government are producing either very little or nothing."
CFU estimates that under the prevailing conditions, Zimbabwe will be able to produce less than 500 tonnes of maize against a national requirement of 1,8 million tonnes.
Thousands of farm workers have become destitute overnight on farms they have lived on their whole lives.
The farm invasions have not spared livestock either. Cattle, goats and other domestic animals are being stolen, slaughtered, snared and axed, Theron said.
"Thousands have inhumanely been denied food and water for more than a week at a time, with many dying or eating their young as they desperately try to survive," he said.
The resettled farmers are also complaining about the shortage of inputs such as seed, chemicals and fertiliser.
They said most financial institutions were refusing to give farmers loans because they do not recognise government's offer letters and 99-year leases as collateral.
"Government support for the newly resettled farmers has not been what it is supposed to be," said Blackmore Chaduka, a farmer in Banket in Mashonaland Central.
"We are not getting the seed and fertiliser we used to get from government. We are not yet financially sound to stand on our own."
Chaduka said if he fails to get assistance from government he would only plant "a few hectares" for his family.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers' Union (ZCFU), which represents mainly black resettled farmers, said although they were facing "challenges" it was too early to predict a food crisis.
"We are likely to have a food deficit but I can't say there will be serious food shortages," said ZCFU president Wilson Nyabonda. "The rains have not yet started so we still have a little bit of time."
He said ZCFU had made representations to treasury and they expected assistance in the form of inputs soon.
In the communal areas, the situation is equally dire. Most farmers have not been able to plant because there is no seed and fertiliser in the shops.
In areas where inputs are available, they are beyond the reach of the ordinary communal farmers most of whom have no access to the multiple currencies, 10 months after the dollarisation of the economy.
The CFU said apart from the human-induced factors, there is also a threat of the El Nino weather phenomenon that has been forecast for the southern parts of the country.
Nyabonda agrees: "We are likely to have above average rainfall in the first half of the season in southern parts of the country and that could have a bearing on national output."
The country's agricultural production has plunged since 2000 when war veterans started invading white-owned commercial farms.
Last year Zimbabwe, once regarded as the breadbasket of southern Africa, only managed to produce a paltry 500 tonnes of maize, down from more than two million tonnes before the invasions.
As a result an estimated five million people out of a population of 13,5 million were dependent on donor assistance for the greater part of this year.
But the CFU said it would be difficult for the donor community to continue assisting Zimbabwe, a country whose government has been hindering agricultural development through land invasions.
"Justifying massive shipments of food aid to countries whose governments destroy their population's ability to feed themselves is proving to be increasingly difficult," the CFU said.
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As per the man in Monty Python's "Life of Brian" who is about to be stoned to death, "Worse, how can it get any worse?"
Are you kidding me? Can agricultural output in Zimbabwe actually get worse?
More evidence of the "wisdom" of ZANU-Poof's land-"redistribution" policy. Steal land from people that actually know how to farm and have produced boutiful harvests and give it to sycophantic ZANU-Poof bureaucrats who know nothing about farming and spend little time on the land.....
Yeah, that's an excellent policy for food security......
"Total Empowerment!" - if you're a ZANU-Poof bootlicker.......