Farmers hail backdated payments
FARMERS are excited about the decision by the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) to backdate payments for maize delivered, saying it will help them to prepare for the new cropping season.
Once Treasury releases the funds, farmers will be paid immediately.
Government recently increased maize and traditional grains producer prices from $2 100 to $4 000 per tonne and some farmers who were waiting for their payments were worried after receiving payments pegged at the old price.
Zimbabwe National Farmers’ Union chief executive Mr Edward Dune expressed gratitude towards Government for the gesture.
“We are thankful to Government for this backdated payment although the majority of farmers expect more incentives as subsidies and higher producer prices to enable them to be more viable next season,” said Mr Dune.
“This was long overdue.
“We hope that the Government will live to its word that the payments will be available to enable the producers who delivered to GMB to procure the expensive inputs for this season.
“The sooner the disbursements are made, the better for the farmer to be able go back to the fields,” he said
Walter Mswazie in MASVINGO
PROSPECTIVE investors for ancillary projects under Tugwi-Mukosi Dam’s development initiative have raised concern over delays in the finalisation of the long-awaited master plan for the area, with experts saying the massive US$2 billion project is losing a lot of latent revenue.
The dam was commissioned in 2016 amid pomp and fanfare, but since then nothing has been done in terms of exploiting the resource save for a fishing project, which is not helping communities around the dam’s catchment area.
Sugar giant Tongaat Hulett is also drawing five percent of the water to irrigate its estates in Chiredzi.
According to a development map at the dam, the biggest reservoir in the country will have sites for hotels, a business centre and 25 000 hectares of sugar cane farming.
Chivi Rural District Council chief executive Mr Tariro Matavire, whose local authority controls part of the massive water body, said both local and international investors were making enquiries on opportunities at the dam.
He said council could not do anything as Tugwi-Mukosi was a national project despite it falling under his jurisdiction.
The dam’s catchment area also covers part of Masvingo District.
“We are receiving a lot of enquiries on the investment opportunities that come with the establishment of Tugwi-Mukosi Dam,” said Mr Matavire.
“The potential investors include both local and international who are eager to set businesses at the water body, but our hands are tied due to the delays on the master plan.”
Masvingo Rural District Council chief executive Mr Martin Mubviro said the two local authorities covering the dam were once asked to come up with a combined master plan, but were later stopped.
“My office is inundated with inquiries from potential investors for Tugwi-Mukosi on a daily basis, but at the moment, we only refer them to the Government,” he said.
Chivi businessman Mr John Hungoedz,a who has interests in the hospitality industry and retail business, raised concern over the delay and called on the Government to prioritise local investors when availing opportunities around the dam.
Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Ezra Chadzamira said the master plan would be done by the Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) and Midlands State University (MSU).
MSU has already set up the Tugwi-Mukosi Multi-Disciplinary Research Institute with a bias towards studies around aquaculture and other agricultural initiatives for the dam.