Farmlands: A pale shadow of yesteryear glory
http://www.theindependent.co.zw/
Thursday, 02 June 2011 20:16
Paidamoyo Muzulu
DRIVERS along the Harare-Kariba highway used to see swathes of tilled
farmland at any given time of the year. In this cold season, large portions
of the rich farmland were enveloped by the green germinating winter wheat
crop. The beautiful colours of the rainbow were an integral part of the
skyline due to overhead sprinklers and centre pivots irrigating the fields.
Then, Mashonaland West province enjoyed the unrivalled position of being the
country’s breadbasket. Its fertile red soils and warm temperatures created a
climate for agricultural production right throughout the year.
Pre and post-Independence investment in irrigation infrastructure was
intensive in the province. This came as no surprise because of the location
of large bodies of water, such as Darwendale, Mazvikadei, Mutorashanga, Biri
and Susuji dams. These dams had a combined capacity to irrigate over 50
000ha of land.
All this potential has been laid to waste. As I travelled through this once
lush agricultural province last week, I came face-to-face with the sad
reality of how desolate this fertile farmland has become.
Winter wheat production is on a dramatic downward spiral despite most dams
in the province being 70% full. This year Zimbabwe has to import wheat.
As I gazed at the vast agricultural wasteland, all I could see were
vandalised centre pivots, derelict canals and dysfunctional irrigation pump
stations on the farms along the busy highway.
The abandoned infrastructure tells a story of the copious production days
when small towns like Banket, Raffingora, Chinhoyi, Mhangura, Lion’s Den and
Chegutu were widely renowned agricultural centres. Now, the towns’ silos
echo with emptiness confirming the gloomy outlook of Zimbabwe’s agricultural
sector.
Farmers and farm-workers have different reasons for plummeting agricultural
production. Some point to wanton destruction of irrigation infrastructure at
the height of farm invasions at the turn of the millennium while others
blamed the lack of financial support for “new” farmers, most of who have no
capacity to till the land they so zealously and violently grabbed in the
name of land reforms.
Some farm workers told sad stories of absent farm owners and unpaid wages.
They said the “new” farmers kept telling them that they were waiting for
government assistance. Farm workers’ misery and their wretched rag-tag
appearance reflect a gloomy future.
All this paints a sad picture of declining agricultural production and
further dependency on food aid and imports. This is an indictment on the
country’s decade-long agrarian reforms.
The government has on several occasions spoken of the need to increase
funding for agricultural production. Finance minister Tendai Biti bemoaned
the lack of resources to rehabilitate irrigation infrastructure in his 2011
budget statement.
“Lack of fiscal space has limited our capacity to intervene meaningfully
towards supporting our farmers to take advantage of our water bodies through
irrigation development,” Biti said.
Biti further highlighted that wheat production had been declining over the
years. He revealed that the 2010 production target was missed by a wide
margin due to wide-ranging factors, among them limited funding and erratic
power supplies.
“Out of the targeted hectarage of 45 000ha, farmers only managed to put in
12 000ha using inputs worth US$5 million,” Biti said. “We anticipate wheat
deliveries to GMB amounting to 25 000 tonnes assuming an average yield of
2,5 tonnes a hectare.”
The irrigation problems are reflected across all the other provinces.
Masvingo province still underutilises Lake Mutirikwi. There is no meaningful
winter wheat production in the region.
The Nuanetsi project which was expected to put 500 000 ha under production
died a natural death due to lack of funding.
Mashonaland Central is also struggling to regain its production levels of
yesteryear. The majestic Mazowe Dam provides a capacity to spur further
production but farmers are highly incapacitated.
The country’s spectacular fall from being the region’s breadbasket to a
basket case is a cause for concern. To try and mitigate against further
decline in production, the government has concocted a number of solutions
that must be implemented immediately.
These range from seeking new lines of credit for farmers, providing
uninterrupted power supplies to irrigation farmers, an intensive land audit
and tough legislation against vandalism of water and power infrastructure.
While all these solutions are being implemented, the country faces another
year of wheat importation. Bread may become a luxury to most poor families
in a dollarised economy with less government subsidies for manufacturers.