Govt crop figures ridiculous CFU

Despite the formation of new power-sharing government in February, invasion of commercial farms has continued unabated, affecting production of maize and wheat.

Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) vice-president, Deon Theron, said the unity government was inflating figures in the farming sector so as to persuade foreign donors to loosen their purse strings.

“It’s a joke. It’s ridiculous,” said Theron. “I find it incredible that those kinds of figures could be put out. They’re not even close.”

Farm invasions have continued across the country, while the Attorney Generals office is pressing ahead with the prosecution of more than 100 white farmers for refusing to give up their land to top Zanu (PF) officials and members of the security forces.
However, state media said this month the country would produce 1.2 million tonnes of maize this season, more than double last year’s crop.

Theron said the more likely figure was 400 000 tonnes compared to a national requirement of 2.2 million.

“Agricultural production is in dire straits despite what the government is saying,” said Theron. “It really is close to hoodwinking the international community into releasing funds by making them believe everything is fine on the agricultural front.

Analysts say the unity government offers Zimbabwe its best chance in a decade to end its crisis and a fresh beginning on the road to sustainable economic and social recovery.

But many say major differences between Mugabe and Tsvangirai over fundamental issues such as the highly contentious issue of land reform could yet derail the unity government.

Both men agree on the need for land reform but differ on the way this should be carried out. Mugabes chaotic land reforms that he says were necessary to correct a colonial land ownership system that reserved the best land for whites and banished blacks to poor soils, are blamed for plunging Zimbabwe into food shortages after Harare failed to support black villagers resettled on former white farms with inputs to maintain production.

Tsvangirai has called for an audit to establish who owns which land in Zimbabwe before an orderly land reform programme can be implemented but Mugabe has in the past accused the MDC leader of wishing to return land to former white owners.

Critics say Mugabes cronies and not ordinary peasants benefited the most from farm seizures with some of them ending up with as many as six farms each against the governments stated one-man-one-farm policy. ZimOnline