Lowveld indigenous farmers deliver 1,1m tonnes of cane

22 Jan, 2017 - 00:01 0 Views

The Sunday News

Walter Mswazie in Chiredzi
SUGARCANE farmers in Chiredzi delivered 1,1 million tonnes of sugarcane to Hippo Valley Milling Company and Triangle Milling Company last year despite the erratic supply of water from Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa), an official has said.

Addressing sugarcane outgrower farmers during the Zimbabwe Sugarcane Development Association (ZSDA) annual general meeting at Hippo Valley on Friday, Tongaat Hullet executive outgrower operations Mr Ushe Chinhuru praised indigenous farmers for helping the company surpass its tonnage compared to the previous year.

Mr Chinhuru praised the cordial relationship the company enjoys with indigenous farmers and urged them to take farming as serious business.

He, however, urged farmers to honour their obligations of paying tax to Zimra and remit their workers’ contributions to NSSA as the organisations rely on contributions.

“Farming is business and we are also in business, therefore we have struck a cordial business relationship with farmers. In 2016 we had a record production of 1,138 million tonnes of sugar from our outgrowers compared to 800 000 tonnes the previous year. This is despite the fact that we had challenges of water supply from Zinwa,” said Mr Chinhuru.

He said his company expects more sugarcane from the farmers and said they should aim to increase production to three million tonnes in five years’ time.

“As Tongaat Hullet our business is sugar that we expect you to produce until such a time that our milling plant is overwhelmed. We expect our indigenous farmers to supply us with at least three million tonnes of cane per year by 2022. This projection may sound far-fetched but we are allowed to dream, that can be attainable. On behalf of my managing director Mr Sydney Mutsambiwa, I am delighted because of such an achievement and I am not flattering you,” he said.

He said the recently completed Tokwe-Mukosi Dam will go a long way in assisting sugarcane farmers in the Lowveld, adding that indigenous farmers should produce more than the sugarcane giant.

“Tongaat Hullet is always supportive of indigenous farmers, hence having a department which specifically deals with out growers. With the completion of Tokwe-Mukosi, I hope our relationship will be strengthened as sugarcane farmers will stand to benefit more ahead of any other person in Masvingo Province,” he said.

The construction work of Tokwe-Mukosi Dam project was completed on 10 December last year and the dam is already 15 percent full. The dam has the potential to irrigate 25 000 hectares of land when it is full.

Coming to the shortage of fertiliser that sugarcane farmers are facing, Mr Chinhuru said the company was also facing the same problem but assured them that those entitled to access such inputs will soon get them. He said the company has since ordered a consignment of fertilisers which is on its way.

In attendance were Great Zimbabwe University’s Garry Magadzire School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences’ Department of Soil and Plant Sciences Professor Munashe Shoko, ZSDA chairman Mr Edmore Veterai, among other farmers.

 

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