dyton mupawaenda
Obert Chifamba-Agri-Insight
ZIMBABWE’S political independence on April 18, 1980 did not only liberate citizens from colonial servitude, but also unlocked windows of opportunities for people, particularly in the realm of farming.
This instalment will delve into ways in which the new-found autonomy paved the way for transformative winds to blow into the agriculture sector, empowering Zimbabweans to cultivate their land, reclaim their heritage and sow seeds of a brighter and more self-reliant future.
Coming after 90 years of white domination, the process of liberating prime land from the stranglehold a paltry 4 400 white farmers who owned 51 percent of prime land and making it accessible to 4,3 million Zimbabweans historically condemned to 42 percent of not so-good land, started at the attainment of Independence in the year 1980.
The signing of the Lancaster House Agreement marked the beginning of the process that unfortunately progressed at snail’s pace until the fast-track land reform programme was instituted in the year 2000.
Essentially, the land reform programme has vastly improved the social and economic standing of many people in the country and continues to do so into the future.
The programme enabled millions of people to get pieces of land that they call their own.
Although production took a slump immediately after the land redistribution programme, it has since gone up with production statistics for crops like tobacco climbing as high as 250 million kilogrammes before hitting an all-time high of 296 million kilogrammes achieved in 2023.
In 1980, tobacco production was 125 million kilogrammes mainly by the white farmers, in 1990 it was 130 million kilogrammes by the same white farmers and a few black farmers. In 2010 it fell to 59 million kilogrammes but rose to 259 million kilogrammes in 2019 mainly by black farmers.
Production has increased mainly because more families now have access to land to farm and have gained experience, which was not there when the land reform programme started.
The majority of Zimbabweans who had been involved in the tobacco production process were basically doing so as workers or hired labour for the few white farmers who were producing the crop then.
These were the people who did most of the toiling on the ground with the farm owners just serving as the brains behind the production process, as well as the funders.
Most of the former workers are now proud owners of pieces of land and putting their knowledge into practice.
The growth of the tobacco sector has been happening lavishly with both volumes and earnings recording unprecedented expansion.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) recently revealed that the average price of tobacco has been on the ascension — rising 17 percent from US$4, 51 in 2019 to the current US$5, 26 thanks to the Second Republic’s policies that promote value-addition.
In recent seasons, exports of tobacco products have also been rising, grossing in excess of US$1 billion according to TIMB’s week 45 report.
Statistics availed by ZimStats also indicate that the value of tobacco exports rose 109 percent from US$478 million in 2010 to US$998 last year.
The continued growth in production of flue-cured tobacco currently being witnessed in recent seasons portrays the success of the land reform programme due to sheer determination and gain in experience by the newly resettled farmers.
In fact, the goings-on in the tobacco sector for one, clearly demonstrate how land ownership can easily change the complexion of agricultural production statistics.
That sense of ownership that the farmers now feel, as they go about their business on the field is enough to spur them to do what they do best.
It pushes them to go the extra mile and this has a telling effect on the final output from the land.
The idea of owning the pieces of land on which they are working gives them the much-needed sense of security that is vital in inciting them to work harder than before.
One interesting fact is that agriculture is one of the key drivers of the Zimbabwean economy with a large chunk of the country’s population depending directly or indirectly on land for their means of survival.
And given the fact that many Zimbabweans now own land and are doing farming as a business, it means that there are even more employment opportunities for those people who live in the farming communities.
Approximately, agriculture provides employment to around 60 or so percent of Zimbabweans with women constituting the bigger percentage.
This is all thanks to the advent of Independence, which has allowed native Zimbabweans to be owners of the means of production, which gives them the power to shape their destinies in the direction they want.
Independence has also presented more crop choices for communal farmers who had been restricted to crops like maize, sorghum and groundnuts to name a few with a sizeable number venturing into cotton.
It also liberated women from being associated with minor crops like beans, cow peas and groundnuts to producing major commercial crops such as tobacco, flowers, sugar cane, cotton, chilled vegetables, coffee, fruits and tea alongside their male counterparts.
This means that on top of improving access to land for most people, Independence also indirectly addressed gender disparities that used to litter the agriculture industry.
Of course, a lot still needs to be done to ensure that women get the same opportunities as men in the farming industry but the beginning of the process came through Independence.
Most of the crop choices being taken even in communal areas now are inspired by the push to generate incomes after meeting domestic requirements, which means all farmers — men and women have readily embraced the business aspect of farming and are essentially taking advantage of the opportunities that came with Independence. Independence liberated the gender space and ushered in more women into the farming industry while the youth demographic also found itself heavily involved in the agricultural production matrix.
It is exciting to note that Government has since acknowledged the crucial role youths play in farming and is pushing for their empowerment as they prepare to take over from the current crop of ageing farmers.
Effectively, this implies that agriculture is coming in as a vehicle of economic emancipation and giving youths the opportunity to express their talents and knowledge.
Youths are the future of any nation and their active participation in farming for a country with an agro-based economy like Zimbabwe is a good sign hinting at huge prospects of economic expansion.
This, of course, would not have been possible in the absence of a liberated political space that is known to nurture the flames of economic development.
And as Zimbabweans celebrate their 44th Independence in a few weeks’ time, they need to remember that the only way through which they can express their gratitude to the thousands that lost their precious lives fighting for freedom is by utilising the land effectively.
Online Reporter