Guruve citrus deal goes sour

carrying export fresh fruit.
Villagers knew the content but never had the chance to taste their succulence as the white farmer only allowed them access to the rotten and low-grade citrus.
Year after year, villagers watched in disbelief, as white commercial farmers exported high-grade mango, orange and other fruits and wondered how special those forcing consumers were.
“There goes the white man’s fruits! There goes the special fruit . . . There goes murungu’s special fruit. Murungu . . . murungu . . . murungu,” sang the children each time the trucks made a beeline.
On the advent of the land reform programme, the vast expanses of orange and mango plantations became the mainstay of Guruve district, having been taken over by the local authority – the Guruve Rural District Council.
Suddenly, the villager had access to the juicy fruits and the strength of the pocket dictated which quality one would enjoy. Of course, there was some reserved for the export market.
To strengthen the project, the council engaged Interfresh but sooner than later, the deal crafted between the two was swarmed by a multifarious array of problems and today, the project has suffocated.
This is typical of a deal gone sour.
After about two years of heckling, the council decided to blow the lid on its long time partner – Interfresh.
The council has been suffering in silence and now it has proved impossible to keep a tight lid on the subject.
Interfresh has been the key source of revenue to the local authority, which is now almost grounded.
The local authority clinched a deal with Interfresh (Pvt) Limited in 2003 to run a project that saw the joint management, marketing and development of 200 hectares of citrus. Interfresh had an obligation to pay the council 20 percent of the total revenue.
As part of the contract, Interfresh had to meet production costs, labour included. In turn, the council provided 200 hectares of land under citrus plantations.
That means in the contract’s lingua franca, Interfresh is expected to run the farms on behalf of the council.
They agreed to a contract of six years with five marketing seasons subjected to renewal and so far the contract on wheels will end in the year 2015.
According to the deal the local authority is to negotiate things like vehicles, tractors among other goods each marketing season.
Through negotiations Interfresh will give an offer to the council as an obligation in particular to the marketing season. This part of the contract has seen the council benefiting a Nissan NP 300 pick-up truck, which is being used by the council for service delivery.
The plantations include Mvuramachena, Kemusasa, Prangamore, Nyabvuti, Marirambada and Bigdale citrus.
The project is marred with some problems leading to the situation blowing itself through the roof.
Guruve RDC chief executive Tinos Marisa says the council doubts the commitment of its partner, Interfresh threatening the viability of the project.
Mr Marisa said it was disturbing that the company was working in bad faith and has failed to honour its obligations.
The council has been enjoying the fruits of co-operation with Interfresh which has seen it benefit a vehicle but the problem erupted in the 2010 marketing season which has seen the council constitute the council’s cash cow after government funds.
Mr Marisa said the plantations were operating below the council’s expectations.
The company was taking too long to pay the farm workers and this has attracted strikes and poor working conditions.
“Two plantations, Mvuramachena and Kemusasa, are operating below our expectations since our partner has taken too long to repair water pumps and that was supposed to be done in April last year.
“At the farms we are experiencing industrial actions since Interfresh is also delaying in payments resulting in poor performance on the ground. As I speak right now the council has not received its dues for the 2010 marketing season.
“As the council we are not happy with these empty promises which have overtaken our agreement and now we doubt the commitment of our partner.
“We agreed that our partner will buy us a tractor during the 2010 marketing season but they have not lived up to the promise,” said Mr Marisa.
The council boss said Interfresh’s argument is based on assurance on security of tenure simply because the council does not have offer letters to the plantations.
The lands committee has taken too long to process offer letters and we are in fear that in the event that this partnership fails to work out the local authority might prove it difficult engage another partner.
This is a deal gone sour, which, however, could easily be solved by crafting a better agreement and by the Government issuing offer letters to the council.
The plantations are there, the fruits are there but what is left is a smooth operation.
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