10 000ha of sugar cane destroyed
From Masvingo Bureau
MORE than 10 000 hectares of knee-high sugar cane is now a write off in the south
eastern Lowveld in Masvingo after white commercial farmers allegedly vandalised
irrigation equipment to sabotage resettled farmers.
Although the Government agreed to compensate the commercial farmers for the
irrigation equipment and the sugar cane, the farmers removed the irrigation
equipment, leaving the crop to wilt. At least 150 resettled farmers in Triangle and
Chiredzi are watching helplessly as the sugar cane wilts.
Some of the resettled farmers had received loans of up to $3million each from
banks for running costs and cannot divert the money for to buy irrigation
equipment.
At a meeting held in Masvingo on Friday, the Masvingo land committee, said it
had received with regret reports that commercial farmers had removed the irrigation
equipment.
The meeting chaired by Mr Alfonse Chikurira, the provincial administrator, said
the settlers had reported that even if it rained now, the sugar cane was a write-off.
The committee is seeking advice from the national land committee to resolve the
problem.
The commercial farmers allegedly removed overhead irrigation equipment and
irrigation valves.
Sugar production in Masvingo Province has been a preserve of white commer- cial
farmers who are now fighting hard to block blacks from entering the sector.
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