Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
ETHANOL producing concern GreenFuel, which is eying estate expansion to 15 000 hectares from the current 12 000ha of sugarcane, is fulfilling its contractual obligations after handing over 0.5ha pieces of irrigated land to 2 300 households in Chipinge South Constituency.
This came to light during the handover of 220 smallholder plots to households in Machona and Vheneka villages, witnessed by Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka today.
The handover of plots is part of a raft of obligations that the company has to fulfil, including an 80 percent employment quota for locals, among other empowerment initiatives.
Minister Masuka said: “I am happy that our investor, GreenFuel, is not moving away from the agreement that was entered into with the Government. The provision of smallholder plots is part of the obligations that were agreed upon at the initiation of this project, and seeing the investor living up to his word is commendable.”
Minister Masuka also reminded the locals of the importance of the ethanol project, a vital cog in the energy sector, fuelling vehicles across the country.
Currently, GreenFuel has expanded its sugarcane plantation operations to 12 000ha, and plans are afoot to reach the 15 000ha in the near future.
