10 SEPTEMBER 2010
EXECUTIVE NEWS
This week most of our top team has been away attending annual congresses of other sister agricultural organisations, both outside Zimbabwe and internally. We believe that it pays dividends to communicate with these other bodies and to swap ideas of mutual benefit. During this time of uncertainty and turmoil within our industry in the southern African region it is extremely important to keep regular contact with each other and to stand united.
At the moment there is a huge international crisis developing over worldwide strategic food supplies and we need to be in a position to assist where we can. We therefore continue our efforts to break the logjam which is preventing us from either farming or receiving full and fair compensation for our lost businesses and homes.
Our top team will next week be commencing a tour of the country to meet our members, both past and present, as well as any others who are involved in our industry. The meetings kick off with our regular monthly meeting here in Harare.
The Open Farmers’ Meeting is still set to be held at the Union offices at 3pm on Tuesday 14th September. All members and farmers either living in or visiting Harare are more than welcome to attend.
The tour will then continue as per the program below:
15 September 2010 – 09:00 hours – Masvingo
15 September 2010 – 15:00 hours – Save Valley Conservancy
16 September 2010 – 09:00 hours – Chiredzi
16 September 2010 – 15:00 hours – Mwenezi
17 September 2010 – 09:00 hours – Beitbridge
17 September 2010 – 15:00 hours – West Nicholson/Gwanda area
Please contact your Farmers’ Association Chairmen or representatives for details of where exactly the meetings will be held.
It is extremely important that as many of you as possible (and your spouses) attend these meetings so you can have an update of the situation as well as an ideal opportunity to have your questions answered. We also need to hear your opinions and ideas on combating the current problems and forging a sustainable way forward. Although we have lots of our own ideas yours would be very welcome to be added to the debate.
We are once again pleased to be able to report a vast reduction in the number of reported farm disruptions occurring over the last week. However, the prosecutions of farmers under the Gazetted Land (Consequential Provisions) Act continue relentlessly. It is extremely important that we continue to record the harassment of farmers by their constant remands and lengthy trials in the courts. We therefore request that we are constantly updated on court dates and results – [email protected]
This relaxation in the numbers of incidents to record has given us an ideal opportunity to improve our recording of events which have occurred over the last ten years. We are currently entering all the information we have into a highly sophisticated database in which we are recording the entire history of events which were responsible for the destruction of our industry as well as our family lives etc. We therefore appeal to you all, especially those of you who personally recorded all the incidents which occurred either on your own properties or for your districts, or provinces, which led to the evictions of so many good farming folk. We also appeal for photographic and audio evidence.
DEATH NOTICE
The leadership of your Union was shocked to hear about the tragic sudden death of Mrs Pam van Vuuren yesterday, Thursday 9th September 2010. Our sincere condolences go to our colleague of so many years, Rob van Vuuren of NADF and his family on this unexpected tragedy. Our prayers are with them all. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.
SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONALS – Vice President Louis Fick
Since congress I have been to S.A. twice for two reasons – our legal route and our pension drive.
By now you would have picked up that the SADC Tribunal is under review and that in the next 6 months the SADC member states through their Justice ministries will come back with recommendations on the way forward. Only time will tell how this will impact on the Zimbabwean farmer in the future, I believe the rulings that were made in our favour will always support or benefit us in some way.
The Zimbabwean government has lodged an appeal against the registration of the SADC ruling in South Africa and this case will probably be heard early next year and will be a very interesting and important case for our future. Afriforum will be dealing with this once again on our behalf, although it is delaying some of our legal efforts. A ruling in our favour could speed up the process and this court case will be followed with a lot of interest not only by us but other interested parties as well as the media.
The Zimbabwean government has decided to go for a settlement with the German bank KFW Gruppe and offered to repay the 40m Euros. The settlement will take place in court on the 8 Oct 2010. Our legal team is strategizing on our way forward with this in mind, they are also currently busy with a court case regarding compensation for a S.A. National and with a number of S.A. Nationals who are still farming. I can only say that some success were achieved with S.A. farmers still on their land, pressure from the S.A. Embassy and a visit by them this week to farmers are positive signs although ……..early days…………… Will let you know more about this when I do get feedback on these visits.
Willie Spies and myself met with Social Welfare in August and although this meeting was generally positive we are still facing some red tape or legislation issues, Willie was tasked to write a letter to the Minister of Welfare re these issues. At this point we can register any S.A. National for pension who has moved back to S.A. We are now dealing with the issue re S.A. Nationals still in Zimbabwe and Willie will get back to me on any progress. Details on how to register for this pension if you are living in S.A. will be made available soon. Any members who would like to be relocated back to S.A., the offer is still standing in terms of free relocation and to be put up in a home and receive a pension. Please feel free to contact my office for more details. My feeling is that we have covered 50%, we do have our members in S.A. now covered in terms of pension and a roof, the next 50% will be driven as hard as we can over the next couple of weeks. The next two weeks the CFU presidium will be touring the country and I will try and attend most of these meetings and would explain more in detail at these meetings. Please feel free to come and see me regarding the pension issue. For some the situation has become very desperate but it is also a very personal issue and therefore difficult to discuss the issue in an email format. I will certainly help where possible and at least we can discuss the options available.
Today was our first meeting to get a S.A. club registered for S.A. Nationals in Zimbabwe. You will soon receive details about this and I believe this will create a platform for us to achieve a lot more for S.A. Nationals based in Zimbabwe. This club will be open to any S.A. National based in Zimbabwe so please support this drive. More details on how to register and why to form this club will follow next week.
Mooi loop.
PASSPORT FEES
The following article about the fees of passports was taken from the press and reprinted for your information:
“The Ministry of Home Affairs has announced that the cost of a standard passport will be reduced from $140 to $50, with immediate effect. The reduction was announced at a joint press conference in Harare on Wednesday
by the co-Home Affairs Ministers Kembo Mohadi and Theresa Makone.
For a long time there have been serious complaints from the public about the fact that Zimbabwean passports cost much more than the regional average. Applicants also had to wait for extended periods of time for their
documents, and the ministry often ran out of ink and paper. Zimbabweans found the whole process extremely frustrating.
The cabinet had ordered the Ministry of Home affairs to review the prices back in April, a year after the last review, which resulted in a reduction then from $170 to the current $140.The price of urgent passports, which are processed in only two days, will also be reduced and lost passports will cost the same as new ones to
replace.
Commenting on the Daily News website, writer Chenjerai Hove described the price reduction as a good move. He said: “Our passports had become some of the most hated documents in our possession because of their price. Now, for us in the diaspora, the idea of travelling to the embassies thousands of kilometres away to obtain a passport form and be photographed should be attended to immediately.”
He added: “This idea of having to be photographed and finger-printed makes us feel like criminals belonging to a fascist dictatorial state.”
Hove suggested that the application forms be sent in the mail so people can complete them and send the required money to embassies, instead of wasting time and money on travel and accommodation.”
NEW CFU HIRE PURCHASE AGREEMENT SCHEME FOR FARM MOTORBIKES
This scheme was announced in CFU Calling last week when members were offered the opportunity to purchase farm motor bikes on a hire purchase agreement. A number of Jailing 125 farm bikes were available for sale to our members. The first tranche of 20 farm bikes has been fully taken up but we hope to expand the scheme in the future.
With regards to the fertiliser deal offered by your Union we are pleased to say that the entire allocation has been taken up. Should there be any more fertiliser made available we will keep our members informed accordingly.
A $70 million dollar credit facility has been announced which will be used to finance the acquisition of equipment and capital goods. The scheme is open to all sectors and beneficiaries can access funding through the banking sector. Details are still being finalised but it is believed that interest rates will be low. Further information will be provided next week.
Please be advised that the Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU) facsimile number remains the same i.e. 309849 however this facsimile number will also be used with immediate effect for sending through adverts/classifieds.
Mrs Pam Cooper has taken over the Classifieds from Mrs Rhonnie Marston and is situated in office number 119 on the first floor.
She may be contacted on 309800 – 19 extension 293
All classifieds must be sent to [email protected] only followed by proof of payment to 309849.
Please also kindly note that for your convenience, a facsimile has been put in place in the accounts department. The number for this is 309828.
COMMODITY UPDATE
ZIMBABWE CROP PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION (from the desk of Richard Taylor)
Back in the office after a trip to Zambia and then a weeks break on the banks of the Zambezi. What a pleasure. For those planting tobacco, it will be a good place to go and unwind after the planting is complete.
We are in the process of finalising a deal with Radzim Agri – Power. Please can you read through the various types of equipment that are on offer and reply with your wish list.
Kipor KD6700T with digital panel 5 kva generator Price: US$1350
Prostar 1500w Inverters Price: US$1050
Prostar 500w inverters Price: US$2200
Single Disc Spreader Price: US$22870
Electric Maize Mills with cyclone Price: US$ TBA
The above items will be on a similar scheme to the motor bike scheme, down payment and six months to pay (SUBJECT to availability of funds).
Onis Visa Generators ex Italy will also be available in open and silent models.
available with prices provided on application. The generators unfortunately will be on a cash upfront purchase.
We are also able to supply the following agricultural equipment against specific orders. Prices will be available on request due to currency fluctuations:
Mowers, Cultivators, Harrows, Chisel Ploughs, Ploughs, V Rippers, Feed Mixers, Spreaders, Planters, Sprayers, Silage and Forage Harvesters, Trailers and other tractor drawn equipment on request.
We would also like to offer you the possibility to run a similar finance scheme under your umbrella for the following stock items we have at the moment. We would need a 30% deposit and then equal monthly payments.
Item
Price US$
Months
Harrow 18 disc
12000
6
Harrow 24 disc
15225
6
Harrow 28disc
17350
6
Planter 4 row
20900
12
Planter 6 row
31000
12
Planter 7 row on 4 row frame
36000
12
Spreader Fert and Lime Single Disc
3015
3
Spreader Twin Disc 12001
6850
6
Spreader Fert and Lime Trailed 4.3m
16000
12
Spreader Lime attachment 6m boom
6750
12
Spreader Manure and Lime 6m3
23100
12
3 Furrow Plough Hydraulic
5800
6
Single Row Silage Machine
11050
6
Double Row Silage Machine Trailed
29500
12
Double Row Silage Machine Mounted
23700
12
4 Wheel Metal Trailer with Sides
8000
6
Radium Unigrader
8000
6
Electric Maize Mills with Cyclone
TBA
3
Montana Boom Sprayer 6001 10m
6300
6
Montana Boom Sprayer 6001 12m
6500
6
Montana Canon Sprayer 4001
6700
6
The above scheme varies in time span according to price. Should you be interested in any of the above items then please reply to me on [email protected] We require an indication of what you the farmer are looking for in order to check stocks, what sort of financial figure we are looking at and the to see if there may be a trend in equipment required.
Please note the function below.
Amazone Equipment – Precision farming field day
Hosted by Tarrys and Falcon equipment SA
Venue; Art Farm
Date; Wednesday 6th October.
Time: 13 00 hrs
Arrive and have a finger lunch and drinks followed by a talk /slide show by Ruben van der Merwe of Amazone SA, followed by a field demonstration. Tea and discussion after.
We have a 3000 litre towed sprayer (24m boom) and 3 tonne fertilizer spreader which will be demonstrated. This is high tech equipment which uses an AMATRON + on-board COMPUTER to control and monitor all functions .The equipment is very user friendly and will save you considerably with extremely precise applications of Ferts and Chemicals avoiding any wastage and boosting yields with timeuos and accurate applications.
With the escalating costs of inputs and the squeeze on margins we believe this is the future of farming.
We look forward to hosting you and would appreciate if you could advise us if you do plan to attend.
[email protected] or [email protected]
Regards The – Tarrys Team
CATTLE PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION
WEEKLY CATTLE PRICES
GRADE
AVERAGES PER KG/LIVE WEIGHT PRICES
HARARE
GWERU
BULAWAYO
SUPER
–
COMMERCIAL
1.55
CHOICE
1.60
ECONOMY
1.38
COMMERCIAL ECONOMY
–
MANUFACTURING
1.05
BULLS
–
WEANER HEIFERS
1.94
BULLING HEIFERS
1.67
COW & CALF
1.57
WEANER STEERS
1.47
LONG WEANER HEIFERS
–
LONG WEANER STEERS
1.46
FEEDER STEERS
1.62
COMMERCIAL WEANER STEERS
–
COMMERCIAL WEANER HEIFERS
–
BREEDING COWS
1.68
STD MUTTON
–
STD GOAT
–
No prices are available from Bulawayo this week, nor will be for a few weeks to come as all sales have been cancelled due to foot and mouth outbreak.
COMMENTS AND VIEWS
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