14 replies to this topic

[kwv.]

Farmers warn that Zim agriculture is in 'major crisis'
http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
20 March 2012

The Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) has warned that Zimbabwe is facing a
"major crisis," after a third of the country's maize crops were declared a
write off.

The state media has quoted Agriculture Minister Joseph Made as stating that
the country faces a serious grain deficit, blaming a 'prolonged dry spell'.
He told the Herald newspaper that the government had halted sales from its
'strategic grain reserves' following the bleak results of a state assessment
of the country's maize crops.

The CFU's President, Charles Taffs, told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that he
agreed with Made that Zimbabwe is in trouble agriculturally, with the
country once again unable to feed itself. But he disagreed with the weather
being blamed for the situation.

"We can't continue to blame drought. It's quite absurd that this is still
used as an excuse," Taffs said, adding that the reason behind the deficits
is that "agriculture continues to be undermined."

The country has been struggling to feed itself for more than a decade after
productive farms were seized from commercial farmers and handed to top ZANU
PF officials, as part of the land grab campaign. In 2008 this campaign was
declared unlawful by the regional human rights court, but nothing has been
done to correct the situation.

The result has been a country facing hunger, which ZANU PF has been quick to
blame either on Western imposed targeted sanctions or the weather.

But as Taffs said, the treatment of the agricultural sector is the main
problem.

"There is first of all no funding for agriculture and no security of
tenure," Taffs explained.

He said: "You know we actually have no problem with who owns the land. We
have a problem with how the land is used," adding that the there is no
reason anymore why Zimbabwe should be relying on food aid or imports to
survive.

[Not coming back]

Rhodies still crying over the land reform

[KK & (occasionally) BN]

Professor GBH, on 21 March 2012 - 07:01 AM, said:

Rhodies still crying over the land reform

I thought it was the Zimbos who were crying because they havent got any food. Isnt that why there are so many illegal immigrants from Zimbabwe in the west?

[succuba]

Professor GBH, on 21 March 2012 - 07:01 AM, said:

Rhodies still crying over the land reform

Did you read that article, it was not about farm invasions it was about food shortage.

[KK & (occasionally) BN]

succuba, on 21 March 2012 - 09:21 AM, said:

Did you read that article, it was not about farm invasions it was about food shortage.

GBH is too stupid to be able to tell the difference.
But he is NOT too stupid to realize that he is better off being looked after in UK than he would be 'free' in Zanubabwe!

[Baron Samedi]

Mass starvation on the way.

[Grabmore]

Professor GBH, on 21 March 2012 - 07:01 AM, said:

Rhodies still crying over the land reform

Sometimes it's you can see why these Rhodies are still crying over the land reform. Because even if a Rhodie did steal a beautiful piece of virgin land long ago, he would still have to clear all the trees, find a shit load of money, buy tractors, plough, build a dam, put in irrigation pipes, buy seeds, build grain silos, nurture 300 head of cattle, plant the crops, fumigate, reap, build a nice house, put curtains in the house, install a satelite dish, pay back the bank, work 7 days a week. If after 40 years, he gets whipped and beaten, his wife threatened with rape and told to vacate within 24hrs (just when the crops are ready, and make sure you leave the DVD Player!!).....wouldn't you also cry like a baby??

[Squatter]

Mugabe should really give the Nigerians living in zimbawe the land - they would a whole beter with it than the ZANU cell phone famahs....

After all - look how well they are doing with every thing else that they touch in Zimbabwe.

[KK & (occasionally) BN]

Baron Samedi, on 21 March 2012 - 01:15 PM, said:

Mass starvation on the way.

I dont think so.
The western democracies will jump in and save Zanubabwe from itself again.
They know that Mugabe will die soon and they think that Zimbabweans have learned their lesson and will stop another mad dictator from taking over.

[Mthwakazimzansimthwakazi]

They don't call it the Gukurahundi Republic for no reason.

Its called the Gukurahundi Republic for sure!!!!

[adam]

CFU is now a brief case business.

How can the guys be commercial farmers when they dont have the farms.

Mugabe, Made, Chiyangwa, Shiri, and the whole cabal are now the farmers,

Whether they are commercial, is another story.

So this Bell guy should stop trying to pass landless peasants as Commercial Farmers.

The ZFU should be the reps for farmers not a defunct CFU

[Mthwakazimzansimthwakazi]

The Lord almighty will continue to turn his back on your Gukurahundi Republic until you learn tolerance of different views, cultures, and languages. Once you learn how to respect each others' rights and stop this TIRIBAZHINJI nonsense and your ingrained violent Gukurahundists tendencies - everything will simply fall into place!

[Baron Samedi]

This is a zanoid ministry under mad Made. Let's see how agriculture gets on under Bennett.

[KK & (occasionally) BN]

I was told about an old white farmer who grows more maize in his window box at the old-age home in Marondera than all the zanuoid 'farmers' can grow in the whole of Mashonaland.
Maybe they should get him to teach them how.

[canuck]

THERE IS MORE MAIZE GROWN IN A SMALL OF ABBORDSFORD BRITISH COLUMBIA VCANADA THAN IN ZIMBABWE I BET. (WE CALL IT SWEET CORN)