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By Regerai Marwezu MASVINGO – Zimbabwe’s
agriculture minister Rugare Gumbo on Thursday launched a scathing attack on newly
resettled black farmers saying they had dismally failed to produce enough food
for the nation. Speaking at the Zimbabwe
Farmers’ Union (ZFU) national congress in Masvingo, Gumbo said the newly
resettled black farmers had let the nation down after they failed to maintain
production on former white-owned farms. “I am disappointed
that our new farmers have proved to be failures since the start of the
land reform programme in 2000. In spite of all the support government has been
pouring into the agricultural sector, productivity and under-utilisation of
land remain issues of concern. “I urge you to continue
working hard so that the importation of food will become history,” said Gumbo. Zimbabwe has faced severe
shortages of food since 2000 when President Robert Mugabe sanctioned the
violent seizure of white farms for redistribution to landless blacks. The disturbances on the
white farms that produced the bulk of the country’s food needs resulted in a
quarter of Zimbabwe’s 12 million population requiring food handouts from
international food agencies. Mugabe however denies
that his land reforms caused hunger blaming the food crisis on natural causes. Critics say the Harare
authorities, also battling an unprecedented economic crisis that has seen inflation
zoom past 6 000 percent, failed to fully support newly resettled black farmers
resulting in a massive drop in production. Gumbo had no kind words
to the largely black-dominated ZFU accusing the farmers of gross incompetence. “I am painfully
aware of the widespread theft of stock, farm produce, irrigation
equipment and the general vandalism of infrastructure by our new farmers. "The issue of
Makorokoza or gold panners and other farmers who not only damage our
environment but infrastructure like irrigation equipment and
siltation of our rivers should be addressed quickly if we are to realise the
full benefits of the land reform programme,” said Gumbo. Zimbabwe, which was once
regarded as the breadbasket of southern Africa, is a pale shadow of its former
self after the chaotic land reforms seven years ago. Hundreds of former
productive white are lying fallow after the new black farmers failed to utilize
the new properties. - ZimOnline |