Zimbabwe govt expresses concern over under-use of sugarcane plots

Government has expressed concern over the level of under-utilisation of sugarcane plots in the Lowveld, leading to a massive drop in Zimbabwe's annual sugar production.

Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement Deputy Minister Davis Marapira on Thursday said Government would intervene to make sure that all agricultural land was fully utilised.

"You are aware that sugarcane production was under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and we have to sit down with them to chart a way forward for this lucrative industry," he said.

Deputy Minister Marapira condemned the illegal practice of selling subsidised inputs and the diversion of sugarcane by farmers trying to evade servicing their debts.

"As Government, we need to visit the sugarcane producing areas and come up with permanent solutions," he said. "If all these negative reports about them are true facts then we will take strong solutions.

Deputy Minister Marapira said a lasting solution on abandoned fields, diversion of sugarcane bundles and selling of inputs was long overdue.

"We will only come up with a lasting solution after visiting the areas, but in principle any person who diverts money meant for production and sell inputs is not a farmer," he said.

Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe managing director Mr Sydney Mtsambiwa recently raised alarm over the declining yields in Mkwasine, which have dropped from 900 000 tonnes of sugarcane per season.

There are also reports that beneficiaries of the land reform programme had abandoned their plots, while others are now growing crops such as maize and sorghum and neglecting to settle their debts owed to financial institutions, Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority.