Displaced commercial farmers troop back to Zim

Farming officials said over 40 Zimbabwean farmers who relocated to neighbouring countries to flee the land reform programme have started to troop back into the country after encountering fresh problems at their new bases.

Justice for Agriculture chairman, John Worswick, confirmed that farmers who went to neighbouring countries faced a number of problems like commodity price changes that made contract farming un-viable. He cited Mozambique’s skewed tobacco contract farming as the biggest problem. "Over 30 tobacco farmers who had relocated to Mozambique have returned to Zimbabwe after a fallout with Universal Tobacco Company, the major sponsor of tobacco farming in that country," Worswick said. "The issue is before the courts at the moment so I can’t give details. However, farmers doing other crops in the same country have recorded successful stories."

Worswick said farmers in Zambia and Malawi were having problems coping with falling commodity prices against local currencies that are appreciating in value. "Around 10 families have returned from both Zambia and Malawi against the revaluation of the Kwacha," he said. "Farmers need to be doing diverse business ventures to survive such an environment."

He said farmers returned from Nigeria after the government there failed to avail funds on time to kick-start the proposed projects.

The Commercial Farmers Union last week reported an increase in farm invasions and continued disturbances on remaining farmers.

More than 20 African countries invited Zimbabwe’s commercial farmers displaced from their properties by violent land seizures executed by government under the fast-track land reform from 2000. Countries such as Ghana, Cameroon, Sudan, Guinea Bissau, Benin, Central African Republic and Namibia had offered the farmers vast stretches of land.

The Zimbabwe Independent