George Maponga
Masvingo Bureau
Sugarcane has been given the status of a strategic crop that will allow significant expansion with hundreds of out-grower farmers primed to benefit.

Over 1 000 out-grower farmers who benefited under the land reform were facing a number of challenges principally inputs, resulting in lower yields, and consequently a lower aggregate national sugar output.

Most sugar is now grown by private farmers, rather than large estates, although the cane is sold to the major sugar companies for processing.

Cane farmers have been lobbying Government for support to access cheap inputs to improve production as sugar remained firm amongst the country’s key exports raking in over US$76 million last year.

A delegation of Cabinet ministers led by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka, recently visited the Lowveld and announced the granting of the strategic crop status.

The development dovetails with Vision 2030 of an upper middle income society, and will also see Government coming up with favourable policies to support the potentially-lucrative sector.

Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira confirmed the development.

Government has granted sugarcane strategic crop status meaning that farmers will also benefit from subsidised inputs from programmes such as Command Agriculture and the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme,” he said.

“This is a boon for the sugar industry and we expect that output will go up, earning more income for farmers and hard currency for the country.

Farmers have hailed the move saying it will help them access affordable inputs.

Commercial Sugar Cane Farmers Association of Zimbabwe chair Admore Hwarare said: “Our farmers were facing challenges of high operational costs ranging from exorbitant inputs to runaway costs of drainage and haulage and also power for irrigation and we hope with this new development they will bring relief.

Cde Hwarare said farmers were being choked by high costs of production, forcing others into bankruptcy.

Zimbabwe is home to two sugarcane mills at Hippo Valley and Triangle, both owned by Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe.

The mills have a combined capacity of 630 000 tonnes of sugar annually, but currently run below that owing to depressed sugarcane output.

Zimbabwe consumes around 300 000 tonnes of sugar per annum and the surplus is exported to markets within the region, Europe and the United States, earning foreign currency.