“We at the CFU have over the past two years been working together with our many partners in forming such a proposal and we now feel that we can offer a proposal which offers a fair and pragmatic solution, which if engaged will have the ability to take this country forward for the betterment of all,” said CFU president, Charles Taffs.
Taffs said it is time Zimbabwe changed direction since the country has over the past 13 years been left behind in terms of technological infrastructure development and economic growth.
“CFU invites government and others to engage with us as we offer this proposal that we believe can be instrumental in bringing a lasting and national beneficial outcome to the land reform process. Our proposal is sincere and aimed at promoting an inclusive and sustainable social and economic development and recovery.
“Our main agenda is to promote a stable and competitive agricultural business environment and to provide advice and support to farmers. We believe that this union and its members can play a significant role in ensuring a bright future for the nation and its people through the successful completion of the land reform programme,” said Taffs.
He said CFU believes there is a way forward which can result in significant improvement in national recovery and economic restoration to the funding of the ongoing agricultural transformation in Zimbabwe.
Taffs blamed what he described as the total nationalization and acquisition of some 11.8 million hectares of commercial land which was previously held under free hold title, for the end to secure property rights and of investor confidence in all sectors of the economy.
“Government’s inability and failure to pay compensation and bring closure to the acquisition process has crippled the institutional capacity to lend into this sector. National collateral has effectively been undermined and all agricultural land in Zimbabwe is now an impaired economic asset.
“Farmers have weak security of tenure and week land rights. Lending to the agricultural sector has become excessively constrained and is heavily risk loaded resulting in massive limitations to production. The sector is both uncompetitive and non-performing as a result,” said the optimistic CFU president.
Taffs added that land reform beneficiaries remained inadequately empowered to leverage the potential of the land to which they have been given access. “Access on its own is not enough. Thirteen years on we are left with an agriculture sector in turmoil.
“The rural infrastructure is collapsing, thousands of kilometres of fencing have been removed and conservation land laws are being openly disregarded with dire environmental consequences. Earthen dam walls are becoming unstable due to little or lack of maintenance.”
CFU said: “As a farming community in partnership with government, it is our combined duty and responsibility to supply raw materials for industry and export as well as to adequately feed the nation. We are quite clearly failing.”
The farmers union said its proposal which is the solution to Zimbabwe’s struggling economy is fair, all inclusive, focussed and must be adopted and implemented in the short term. “This solution must re-establish the basic fundamental foundations needed for rapid economic recovery and economic gain, those being property rights.”
CFU will submit its agriculture sector and economic revival proposal to government and other stakeholders soon.
Post published in: Agriculture
YOU WILL NEVER WIN!!!!
CFU is it Z or r Stop promising plans its either you are in or out For thirteen years you have been sitting with or formulating your plan(s)and Zimbabwe is going on. Check your stats production is growing since those thirteen years.
With or without you things are going to come right.Its up to you to join in but no conditions please you do not hold the magic wand to fruitful production Zimbabwe will get it right soon. No gain no pain
If we did not go through the rough patch for the past thirteen years we would not be having access to the land. That access to land is a price worth the worsted thirteen years you are crying over