The land measuring more than 600 hectares, was acquired under the Land Reform Programme. Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said the farms were being withdrawn because the individuals allocated the land were not utilising it.

The farmers whose land is being withdrawn are Mr Van Rensburg of Cavala Farm in Makoni and Mr E Matibiri of Brondesbury Farm in Nyanga. Cavala farm was abandoned while Brondesbury had not been taken up.

Government has on several occasions warned farmers that are not fully utilising the land that they risk losing the farms.

The withdrawal of the two farms should therefore serve as a warning to farmers that are not fully utilising their land.

More than 300 000 families were allocated land mainly in prime farming areas that used to be a preserve of the minority white farmers following the fast track land reform programme. Many of the new farmers used to eke a living from barren communal areas hence the Government’s decision to correct the skewed land ownership which favoured the minority white farmers.

Those who have been privileged to be allocated land have an obligation to fully utilise the land so that the country can produce not just enough for its consumption but also surplus for export.

Farming is a hands on business which requires the farmer to be on the land to direct operations. Some of the new farmers are failing to even produce enough for their own consumption and such farmers should not be on the land.

We have said it before that land is a finite resource and as such only those committed to fully utilising it should remain on the land. There are new farmers who have been on the land for nearly 20 years but continue relying on Government for inputs such as seed and fertiliser.

These farmers should have long been weaned off and should instead be getting loans from banks to fund their operations.  It is important for farmers to invest in equipment and irrigation infrastructure so that they are able to grow crops throughout the year and not just wait for the summer cropping season. Cultivating crops under irrigation is very reliable given that the rainfall patterns are changing due to climate change.

Government has completed an audit of farms and we want to believe the withdrawal of the two farms in Manicaland province signals the start of the exercise to withdraw underutilised farms country-wide.

Government has also said it is withdrawing farms from individuals owning more than one farm.  Farmers have been given enough time to demonstrate their commitment to production and it is now time to act against those that have failed.

There are many landless people that are committed to farming who should take over the underutilised land.

Zimbabwe should regain its status of being the breadbasket of Southern Africa and this is only possible if all farmers fully utilise their land.