From Tawanda Mangoma in CHIREDZI
Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Mike Bimha has challenged sugarcane farmers in Chiredzi to engage Tongaat Huletts Zimbabwe over payments for other by-products from their sugarcane. The farmers have raised concern that they were only being paid for raw sugar and molasses, while the company benefited from products realised from further processing of their produce, such as ethanol, electricity and bagasse. In an interview, Minister Bimha said sugarcane farmers do not have milling plants hence the need to work closely with Tongaat Hulett.
“One must understand that sugarcane farmers, mainly some of our new farmers just grow sugarcane, but don’t have milling plants. When you don’t have a milling plant you can not sell sugar because that sugarcane has to be processed. Then the current practice is for them to engage Tongaat Hulett, which has got the milling plants. It’s not for Government to go to Tongaat Hulett and say pay them so much, pay them this or don’t pay them this,” he said He said Government will not dictate what sugarcane farmers will be paid for their crushed product.
“They have to engage the miller, and say look, I want you to mill my sugarcane and they agree on what is to be paid and how much is to be paid. It’s really not for Government to legislate, but for the farmers to engage the milling company.” Minister Bimha said Government would only mediate when the two parties fail to agree on certain issues.
“They need to get together and come up with a Memorandum of Understanding of the obligations, what the other party has to do and what the other should pay, it’s something they can negotiate as parties,” he said. Minister Bimha said the farmers and miller can only engage Government for advice, while it was within their rights to engage among themselves.