Underutilised farm downsizing imminent

Samuel Kadungure Senior Farming Reporter

THE Ministry on Lands and Rural Resettlement has completed inspections of farms exceeding maximum farm sizes in Manicaland and recommendations to downsize them await ministerial approval, while vetting of those underutilised and owned by absent owners continues.

The Manica Post has it on good authority that the exercise identified four farms in Chipinge district — (names withheld), 13 in Makoni, two in Nyanga and six in Mutare and recommendations for their reduction have since been forwarded to Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, Dr Douglas Mombeshora for approval.

No farms were identified under this category in Buhera, Mutasa and Chinamimani districts, but the exercise to identify underutilised farms and those whose owners are now domiciled in the Diaspora is continuing.

Dr Mombeshora last week said Government would reduce the sizes of under-utilised farms to cater for the growing number of people in need of land.

Some of the farms in Manicaland are as big as 3 000 hectares, against the dictates of Statutory 288 of 2000 — which prescribes the maximum farm sizes across the country’s five ecological regions.

The maximum farm size in Natural Region One — which is largely concentrated in Chimanimani, Nyanga, Mutare, Mutasa and Chipinge — but with the exemption of timber plantations — the maximum farm size was pegged at 250ha.

In Region Two — which include parts of Mutare, Makoni and Mutasa districts — maximum farm size was set at 400ha.

The farm size ceiling in Region Three — which encompasses parts of Makoni, Mutasa and Mutare districts has been pegged at 500ha.

In zones Four and Five — which largely encompass parts of Nyanga North, Chipangayi, Chisumbanje, Makoni South and Chipinge — the maximum farm sizes were pegged at 1 000ha and 2 000ha, respectively.

“We will reduce the farms to between 500 and 1 000 hectares. Those who are also under-utilising their farms will have them downsized. If you have a 500-hectare farm and you are only using 100 we will give you the 100 and an additional 50 hectares and then we take the other part to resettle other people,” said Dr Mombeshora.

Dr Mombeshora said Government would repossess the farms from absent owners to ensure maximum production.

“We have derelict farms, some owned by people who are now outside the country and we will also repossess those farms and re-allocate to other people.”

He added that a digitalisation programme underway would enable Government to identify those who have multiple farms and to also help in pegging the farms.

The move by Government is intended to spur production and restore dignity on the farms by putting heat on those that held onto the farms for speculative and prestige purposes.

Most of the farms in Manicaland, especially those along major highways, have been neglected, vandalised and turned into white elephants.

The farms were productive prior to their occupation by the current crop of farmers and only very few have justified their presence on the farms through high productivity.

Government, said Dr Mombeshora, and the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe had amended some of the teething issues on the 99-year leases which had resulted in some banks failing to accept the documents as collateral.

“I am pleased to say that four weeks ago, we finalised the amendment of the 99-year lease which banks can accept as collateral. We are now in the process of printing the new leases. In the past, farmers would get their leases after three years of being allocated land and this was a problem in terms of securing funding.

“Now you get your tenure document after the allocation of the land and immediately approach the bank to borrow money for production.”

He said Government had recognised that some farmers do not get monthly incomes so has come up with an invoicing system to allow farmers to pay land rentals at a time when they have the money within the year.

A1 farmers pay $15 per year, while A2 farmers pay $5/hectare per year for their pieces of land. He said rentals were essential to allow the ministry to do annual inspections.

“We have agreed with Treasury that we retain 60 percent of the rentals, while 40 percent will go to Treasury. That is the money that helps us to do title survey.”

Dr Mombeshora said farms allocated under the Land Reform Programme belong to the State and can never be sub-divided among family members, but can still be subjected to the laws of inheritance.

“We do not allow families to sub-divide the farms they were allocated. It belongs to the State. However, during the period of the lease, the laws of inheritance still apply. A son or anyone nominated can inherit the farm.”

He encouraged farmers to fully utilise the available water to maximise on production.