Chipinge hope to Zimbabwe

The fields of cane stretch beneath the azure skies. In them there is a

beacon of hope for the countrys agriculture. Investors pumped $270

million in the project that they would recoup in the next 10 years time.

We would like to produce ethanol by March next year and we would like

the project to help in providing fuel to the country. Apart from fuel

production we would also want to produce electricity that we will use

for our ethanol plant, said Graeme Smith the Managing Director of

Green.

In 2008 government owned Agriculture and Rural Development Authority (ARDA),

which owns Chisumbanje and Middle Sabi Estates where sugar cane

production has taken off already, embarked on a turnaround drive to

find investment partners to rehabilitate its properties.

Passionate farmers whose land had been seized by the government of

Zimbabwe during the Land Reform programme came into the project. They

agreed with ARDA on a 20 year Build Operate Transfer (BOT) Agreement.

40 000 hectares of cane will be developed in Chisumbanje with the

10 000 cultivated in Middle Sabi.

In an area that is shunned by investors because of the climatic

conditions, there was little hope for the people there. Many like

thousands of Zimbabweans have migrated to South Africa, however, the

investments in Chipinge have created over 3500 jobs and there are

prospects for more.

Chisumbanje ethanol project has to date created more than 3500 jobs

in rural Chipinge in the agricultural and construction region. The

bulk of the employees are local villagers, we have some foreign employees who

are training the locals since we would like to see the local

people running the project, said Smith.

The company is presently selling mature cane to Triangle Sugar

Industries as it has failed to meet the envisaged September deadline

for the completion of the plant.

We have had to sell the produce to triangle otherwise the cane could

go bad. At the moment we are 30% through with the project that we

started in May this year. When we start in March next year there will be

a commissioning 30 days so we shall start full production on

the first of April.

For the people in the area there is something worth celebrating,

dilapidated houses have been renovated and people in the vicinity of

the estates are set to benefit from the irrigation scheme projects.

Villagers are not going to be relocated rather they would be

integrated into the project as out sugar cane out-growers on

irrigation blocks while those who do not want to grow sugar would be

free to produce their own chosen crop, said Smith.

Despite the ray of hope there is still uncertainty on the part of investors.

We have had a few people coming to invest in the project and we have

received positive feedback. However there is still insecurity. With

this project we would like to show people what the project can do. Our project

confirms to the laws of the country.”