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Masvingo Bureau
POLICE Senior Assistant Commissioner Edmore Veterai has been re-elected chairperson of the 250-member Zimbabwe Sugarcane Farmers Development Association, one of the two biggest indigenous cane farmers associations in Chiredzi.Snr Asst Comm Veterai’s re-election at the weekend gives him another four-year mandate to lead the association.
He polled 91 votes to prevail over Dr Marias Dzinoreva, a principal director in the Ministry of Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement who garnered 45 votes.
Masvingo provincial administrator Mr Felix Chikovo presided over the elections and expressed satisfaction with the way the elections were conducted.
“The elections went on very smoothly and farmers were able to vote for the leadership of their choice without any problems,” said Mr Chikovo.
While Snr Asst Comm Veterai could not be reached for comment, he has been fighting to ensure that cane farmers have access to farm equipment such as perry loaders and tractors, whose shortage is stifling their operations.
Snr Asst Comm Veterai has also helped indigenous cane farmers to access inputs such as fertilisers while at the same time making sure that they access cheap loans from banks.
The ZSCFDA — together with the Commercial Sugarcane Farmers Association of Zimbabwe (CSCFAZ) — represent close to 1 000 new cane farmers in the Lowveld who benefited under the land reform programme.
The farmers have been facing an array of problems in the capital-intense sugarcane growing sector with high water prices, coupled with shortage of equipment and a lack of cheap loans, which affected their operations.
New farmers control about 16 000ha of sugar cane in Chiredzi.
Online Reporter