GOVERNMENT has adopted a plan to redistribute idle land to new farmers with a potential to be productive.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

Speaking during a post-Cabinet briefing, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said following the land audit, government would now redistribute underutilised farmland.

“The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement presented a report on phase 1 of the comprehensive national agricultural land audit … phase 1 covered 18 646 land units representing 6% of estimated 300 000 units to be audited,” she said.

The Agriculture ministry recommended from its findings that abandoned land be taken and allocated to other people.

“That 255 abandoned land units and 112 vacant land units be re-allocated to deserving applicants,” she said.

Government will also downsize farms and withdraw offer letters from multiple farm owners.

“That 24 farms under multiple farm ownership will be withdrawn and re-allocated to deserving applicants. That 71 identified farms exceeding the maximum gazetted sizes will be downsized and measures are being put in place to safeguard production thereof,” Mutsvangwa said.

The farms will be allocated with respect to gazetted quotas to benefit war veterans, women, youths and people living with disabilities.