Embracing irrigation the way to go

Embracing irrigation the way to go July 27, 2017 Features, Opinion & Analysis Elita Chikwati Agriculture FocusFor long an abstract concern for a few academics, climate change has since morphed into the thorniest environmental ill of all time, threatening humankind.It is no longer just abstract, but a clear and present danger requiring people to find a new …

Power imports surge 260pc

Power imports surge 260pc July 27, 2017 Business Martin Kadzere Senior Business ReporterZIMBABWE’s electricity imports rose 260 percent last year as the power utility, Zesa Holdings, moved to avert shortages and cuts, which would have crippled business and industrial operations. Zimbabwe’s commercial power users, including miners, manufacturers and farmers consumed nearly 70 percent of electricity sold last …

Farmers must ensure cattle don’t stray onto highways

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Farmers must ensure cattle don’t stray onto highways July 27, 2017 Opinion & Analysis The Plumtree-Mutare highway which was recently refurbished at a cost of $206 million, was the first to benefit from the Government’s programme to upgrade its road network to reduce road accidents. It was hoped that after the completion of the …

Beekeepers fold as climate change effects rage

Beekeepers fold as climate change effects rage July 27, 2017 Opinion & Analysis A beekeeper fixes a hive onto a tree in this file photo Pamenus TusoUnfriendly environmental surroundings are threatening the survival of bees in some areas in Zimbabwe. Bees provide numerous benefits to the natural environment and have a critical role in the ecosystem. …

Dismissed workers are entitled to retrenchment packages

Dismissed workers are entitled to retrenchment packages July 27, 2017 Business Davies Ndumiso Sibanda, Labour MattersONE of the contentious clauses of the Labour Amendment Act, which requires dismissed employees to be paid a retrenchment package, was confirmed by the Labour Court, a thing that is likely to have disastrous consequences for some employers and leave many dismissed …

Zim secures $242m for next farming season

Zim secures $242m for next farming season July 27, 2017 Business Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business ReporterTHE Government has secured $242 million from the European Union (EU) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation to support the agriculture sector in the 2017/18 farming season. According to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), out of the above …

Zim maize production up 286 percent

Zim maize production up 286 percent July 27, 2017 Headlines, Top Stories Felex Share, Harare BureauThe 2016/17 agricultural season registered a 280 percent increase in average household maize production from the previous year, the latest Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) report reveals. The 2017 ZimVAC Rural Livelihoods Assessment Report said as a result of the massive maize production, …

Responding to narrow margins, slow growth in African agriculture

Responding to narrow margins, slow growth in African agriculture – NewsDay Zimbabwe     The fact that African agriculture is beset by narrow margins and slow growth elevates the need to invest in data and evidence. People who get into agriculture expecting quick returns are often disappointed because African agriculture is no longer a one-step …

‘Zanu PF bigwigs extort protection fees from white farmers’

‘Zanu PF bigwigs extort protection fees from white farmers’ – NewsDay Zimbabwe     ZANU PF youth in Manicaland province have accused ruling party bigwigs of receiving 10% of farm produce sold by white commercial farmers in the area as protection fee.   BY KENNETH NYANGANI Speaking at an inter-district meeting in Mutare recently, the …

Cotton farmers appeal for cash payouts rise

Cotton farmers appeal for cash payouts rise July 26, 2017 Business Business ReporterCOTTON farmers have appealed to Government to increase cash payouts, arguing they were losing a significant part of their money from cotton sales when it is deposited into mobile accounts. This comes after Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe last week reduced cash payouts to cotton …