Government has withdrawn offer letters from two farmers in Manicaland Province who were not utilising the land.
The land amounts to more than 600 hectares, which were
acquired under the Land Reform Programme.
In a notice yesterday Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water
and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said the farms were being
withdrawn as one of the owners was not utilising the land while the other farm
had not been taken up.
“Notice is hereby given to the land beneficiary that the
acquiring authority intends to withdraw his offer letter for not taking up his
plot in contravention of the terms and conditions of their offer letters.
“The beneficiary should respond to the notice within 14
working days of this publication,” said Minister Masuka.
The respondents were identified as van Rensburg of Cavala
Farm in Makoni, and one E Matibiri of Brondesbury Farm in Nyanga. Cavala Farm
was abandoned while Brondesbury had not been taken up.
Government has identified a number of underutilised farms
countrywide amid indications that applicants on the waiting list could soon be
allocated land.
The ministry recently introduced a system where production
at the farms will be monitored and those not fully utilising land will lose it
to other willing farmers.
Under the new policy, farmers resettled under the A1 and A2
schemes must submit mandatory production returns to the Lands Ministry by
January 31 next year, failure of which
will result in the farms being considered for reallocation to people on the
waiting list.
The move is meant to transform A2 farmers into agricultural
entrepreneurs. Their farms should become viable businesses by 2025 while A1
farmers will be transformed through Government production schemes to become
viable and formal small to medium enterprises by 2025. Herald
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