ZIMBABWE yet again faces one of the most important periods for the country; another agricultural season. A lot depends on a successful agricultural season: The economy is expected to grow by 9,3% this year, with agriculture forecast to grow by 19,3% to support this growth. The success of agriculture is vital for the country’s food security. Once known as the bread basket of the region, Zimbabwe’s tables have turned and the country is now a net importer of agricultural products. Such a development is sad indeed.

Many have placed the blame on the lack of preparedness on the part of the new farmers. Ideally, one should have inputs in place before the season begins so that no delays are experienced as soon as the rains start. That, however, is not the case on the ground. One season after another, the farmers are always found wanting and the whole farming process is delayed from the onset.

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Johannesburg — THE Land Claims Court has made a landmark ruling against restoring land to a community dispossessed under apartheid because the state cannot afford it.

The court ruled that only grave sites on several farms near Rustenburg in the North West, not 7 500ha of highly productive agricultural land worth an estimated R70m, would be restored to the Baphiring community.

The ruling is likely to set a precedent for thousands of outstanding rural land claims on highly capitalised commercial farms, forestry plantations and game lodges, and could offer the Land Claims Commission a neat way out of its chronic budget crisis.

The commission faced massive backlogs worth billions in signed commitments to land owners and claimant communities that it could not afford to honour.

Its budget allocation has dropped to R1,7bn from R2,1bn last year. No extra allocations were made despite several requests to the Treasury last year. This fiscal year the commission plans to spend R1,1bn to meet previous commitments, 25% of which is ring-fenced for post-settlement support. No new commitments will be made this year.

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Kampala — This year’s national agricultural trade exhibition has just ended in Gulu. One of the key lessons was that Ugandans can earn big from agriculture if they put their minds to it.

To a large extent, most ‘farmers’ in Uganda are still treating farming as a hobby, instead of a serious economic venture from which they can earn a living and create jobs for others.

Even the few Ugandans who are earning from farming are doing so on a small scale yet they could become millionaires if they did it on a bigger scale.

Holding the trade exhibition in northern Uganda this year was not a coincidence. The region was once the country’s largest food basket but with the rebel insurgency over the last two decades, agricultural activity ground to a halt.

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COMMERCIAL farmers in the Karas Region have joined forces with the Police to suppress stock theft in the region. The farmers’ spokesperson, Edward Foster, said farmers formed neighbourhood policing teams in November last year, mainly to monitor the illegal movement of livestock.

According to Foster, since the implementation of the policing teams, 1 100 vehicles were searched during five special operations and at 46 roadblocks. He added that plans were afoot to involve communal farmers in the campaign too. Foster said apart from stock theft, the teams also help to curb poaching and drug smuggling. At present the policing teams consist of 46 active members, said Foster.

On the sidelines of a Police and Farmers’ Forum meeting held at Keetmanshoop on Friday, Chief Inspector Sidney Philander said stock theft had declined in the region. This, he said, could be attributed to the visibility of the farmers’ policing teams.

Philander said the aim of the forum, expected to meet four times a year, is to work out new strategies to curb stock theft and to exchange information. According to Philander, the revival of a Police stock-theft unit is on cards. He said a submission in this regard had been forwarded to the Police Inspector General for approval. Philander sent a strong warning to stock thieves, saying the Police would oppose their bail.

“I must also warn them that the vehicles used in stock theft would be impounded,” Philander added.

ZIMBABWE – Swiss food processing giant, Nestlé has reopend its Harare dairy plant in Zimbabwe.

The plant was closed after concerns for the safety of staff after two managers had been taken in by police for questioning.

According to a report on the BBC, the plant had been forced to accept milk from non-contracted suppliers including a farm, Gushungo Dairy Estate, that is owned by the wife of the Zimbabwe president, Robert Mugabwe.

The company had been taking milk from eight non-contracted farms last year as a form of assistance to the dairy industry in teh country during the time of economic crisis.

However, in October last year Nestlé ended the arrangement.

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