Indigenous trees under siege from farmers
Posted on Wednesday 25 April 2012 – 07:38
Problem Masau, AfricaNews reporter in Harare, Zimbabwe
Scores of stumps could be seen in a once densely populated area along
Tengwe River in this area and the situation promise to be worsening as the
tobacco is ready for reaping and curing. Most farmers here have since
abandoned maize cropping citing low prices and viability challenges and have
adopted tobacco farming which is fetching high prices on the market.
However, most of the small scale farmers cannot afford to buy coal to
cure their tobacco and have since turned to indiscriminate cutting down of
the indigenous trees to process their tobacco.
“Firewood is the only available source of fuel we can secure to cure our
tobacco, we know the government policy on indiscriminate cutting down of
trees but we are left with no choice. The advantage of indigenous trees is
that they are flammable and last long,” said one farmer.
The effects of the deforestation are starting to be witnessed as soil
erosion is starting to take its toll on what used to be densely populated
forest.
Vian Bhachi (77) said he had witnessed the forests being reduced into
deserts.
“Our culture preserved forests by labeling them sacred, no one ever
dared to cut down trees but tobacco farmers in this area have wrecked havoc
and if nothing is done to stop them our trees will become extinct,” said
Bhachi.
He added that herbalists in the area where now walking long distance in
search of herbs.
“Indigenous trees are very helpful in many ways, parents are struggling
to find certain trees for herbs when children experience stomach ache,”
added Bhachi.
Among the trees which are under siege include Musasa and Mupfuti trees
which are known to be flammable.
Hurungwe is fast becoming a desert and according to a non-governmental
organization statistics more than 1000 indigenous trees are felled each year
by tobacco farmers in the area.
A rural councilor in the area Bigboy Mutimusakwa said the situation is
worsening each year.
“Farmers are cutting trees and vast tracts of land have now been turned
into near deserts because of the indiscriminate cutting down of trees.”
“The policy is that a person should report to Volunteer Efforts for
Developments Concerns (VEDCO) if they want to cut down the trees but most
farmers go overnight and deforestation is imminent if the situation is not
addressed urgently,” said Mutimusakwa
Government and environmental organizations are encouraging farmers to
plant exotic trees which are quick to grow but the call seems to be falling
on deaf ears.
Environment Friends, a non-organization has embarked on the awareness
campaign to educate tobacco farmers on the need of conserving indigenous
trees. The pilot project is aimed to be translated into all tobacco farming
regions in the area.
Project Coordinator Arnold Chideme said they provide tobacco farmers
with tree seeds of fast growing trees such as gum trees.
“We have noticed that Hurungwe used to be densely populated with
indigenous trees but the trees are fast becoming extinct hence the need to
educate the farmers the need of not cutting the trees. It takes decades for
indigenous trees to grow so farmers should learn to subsidize,” said
Chideme.
“We are teaching them not to be myopic, if they cut trees without
replacing them, in the long run they will fail to trees to cure their
tobacco,” said Chideme.
The Forestry Commission is spearheading the crafting of a legal
instrument that will force farmers to plant trees.
Stakeholders at the Africa Environment Day asked whether it was possible
to levy tobacco farmers in order to replenish trees cut down to cure the
crop. Forestry Commission General Manager, Darlington Duwa, said they were
working on a legal instrument to prevent against deforestation.
“The instrument will force farmers to set aside land for the growing of
trees to be used during tobacco curing and these will be fast growing
trees,” said Duwa. “Our research division is working on fast-growing tree
varieties and the law we are talking about is almost 80% complete and should
come into effect very soon.”
An official from the Ministry of Agriculture blamed the Zimbabwe
Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) for the behavior of new farmers.
“They resort to cutting down trees because ZESA switches them off at a
very critical stage of preparing their tobacco crop and they are left with
no option. We also are aware that they are poor and do not have the
resources to use best practices so we are not looking at levying anyone,”
the official said.