Farmers applaud Govt for land reform

Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
Farmers countrywide are grateful to Government for addressing land imbalances through land reform as this has resulted in improved livelihoods and easier property acquisition.

Most of the farmers said the main reason for the liberation struggle was the land issue and Independence brought huge changes to the agriculture sector.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union president Mr Wonder Chabikwa said Independence was important to farmers as it resulted in economic empowerment.

“Blacks used to have the zeal to farm but they did not have the land.

“The opportunity to own this land came through Independence, and we are grateful. We are producing our own food.

“We are also producing the former elite crops such as tobacco. We have nearly 100 000 tobacco farmers and every year the country earns millions of dollars from the sector.

“Many farmers have improved their livelihoods and bought houses, improved their irrigation facilities and now living a better life because of the land,” he said.

Mr Chabikwa said resettled farmers were also now into dairy farming and beef production.

“Climate change has affected production but with co-operation among farmers, Government and other stakeholders, we can come up with solutions to the current challenges affecting the sector,” he said.

The Zimbabwe National Farmers’ Union vice president Mr Garikayi Msika yesterday said land was the major reason for the liberation struggle. He said blacks were restricted to rocky and unfertile soils while a few white commercial farmers owned large tracts of land.

After Independence, Government came up with the land reform programme, which benefited more than 300 000 farmers.

“We would not have been what we are, or who we are, had it not been because of the Independence. The liberation struggle was about the land, the soil and now it is in our hands. Now the land belongs to the nation at large, regardless of race, unlike before Independence where there was racial discrimination,” he said.

He said although the sector was facing challenges especially on funding, the major gain was repossessing the land.

“Now, we are being punished for being independent. This is the reason why farmers are having challenges accessing funding,” he said.

Some tobacco farmers said they were glad that they were now empowered instead of being exploited by the colonial masters.

Farmer Mrs Nelia Matufu said Independence brought economic independence.

“We now own land and produce crops of our choice. We used to work hard for the former farmers and get meager wages,” she said.