adminhorticulture sector did not receive any increase and will continue earning US$70 per month.
The chief executive officer of the NEC for agriculture Mr Simon Jera said yesterday negotiations were still in progress for the agro and kapenta sectors.
Wages for the agro sector are currently pegged at US$80 while workers in the kapenta sector are paid US$91.
Mr Jera said they had tried to negotiate for better wages but farmers cited viability problems.
“There has been resistance from the farmers who are claiming that they are not making any meaningful profits.
“Farmers in the horticulture sector were reluctant to effect wage increases citing collapse of the export market, and it is a cause for major concern regarding welfare of the workers,” said Mr Jera.
He said the farmers had also cited low producer prices being offered for their crops and the NEC had urged them to seek audience with the Government in this regard rather than hold workers to ransom.
Mr Jera lamented the wages in the agriculture sector saying there was urgent need to address the situation.
“We believe that the wages should be meaningful and at least nearly at par with other sectors. The cost of living should also be taken into consideration by the farmers,” he said.
Investigations by The Herald revealed that some farmers were paying casual workers US$3 for an eight-hour shift.
The casual workers are mostly not given any food during the course of their duties.
A Marondera-based farmer Mr Bayton Botoman yesterday admitted the prevailing wages in the farming sector were tantamount to exploitation.
“Some of us supplement the workers’ income with groceries and other hand-outs.
“At least this goes a little way in mitigating their paltry earnings,” said Mr Botoman.
Asked if farmers were genuinely not able to pay he said:
“We have to call a spade a spade. The problem is that such farmers will face resistance from their neighbours, who may not be in a position to pay or will be simply reluctant.”
An analyst who preferred anonymity castigated farmers for continuing to exploit their workers in the face of economic hardships.
“The blatant exploitation of farm workers is not only a cause for concern, but a disgrace. We used to castigate white farmers for exploiting black workers but we are now the biggest culprits,” he said.
The analyst wondered why the farmers were always bemoaning viability problems despite them receiving subsidised inputs from the Government over the years.
“Our farmers are simply not concerned about the welfare of their workers, period. They should appreciate that the workers are generating income for them and also need to survive,” he said.
Farm workers took a swipe at the NEC and the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union for not sufficiently representing their interests.
“The Government should do something about our plight. My parents were virtual slaves for a white former farmer, and the trend has continued unabated.
“I no longer have any hope for my children of getting out of this trap and quagmire,” said a worker who refused to be identified.
The farm workers’ wages are way below the Poverty Datum Line, which is US$538 per month.
Online Reporter