Top Chipinge coffee farmer and owner of Farfell Estates, Mr
Richard Le Vieux, has thanked President Mnangagwa for resolving the ownership
dispute of a portion of the farm, a development that has enabled exports of the
crop and other produce to continue.
Mr Le Vieux expressed his gratitude when he appeared before
the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Rural
Resettlement, Water and Climate chaired by Nembudziya legislator Cde Justice
Mayor Wadyajena.
The farm was at the centre of a wrangle pitting Mr Le
Vieux, who also grows macadamia nuts and avocados for exports at the estate,
and indigenous farmer Mr Remembrance Mbudzana.
“I want to say His Excellency the President and the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs have acted swiftly to address the situation of
destabilisation of a successful export enterprise and I want to go on record
thanking them for that, not for me but for the country and the business which
is an employer and exporter, and an important economic actor in that remote
place,” he said.
“I am glad to report to everybody here today that the
situation at the estate is calm and exports are going full speed and we can now
plan further investments beyond the investments which we have made which amount
to millions and I am not talking about investments made 20 years ago, but like
our avocado factory that was only made three years ago.
“So the resolution of this issue means we can continue with
our investments and continue with our growth.”
Mr Le Vieux said Mozambican Agriculture had visited his
estate and offered him land to establish a similar venture in that country.
“I have so far declined the offer to invest in Mozambique
because if I say yes I will have to start the investments there once again,”
said Mr Le Vieux.
Mr Mbudzana had been offered a portion of the estate (Lot
1) but after considering the investments and production currently taking place,
Government decided to revoke the offer letter and find him alternative land.
Cabinet resolved and directed that Mr Le Vieux be issued
with an offer letter for his portion of Farfell Coffee Estates, that is Lot 2
(220 hactares) in keeping with the Government framework of maximum farm sizes
and that if he so wishes, he be issued with an appropriate lease agreement with
respect to Lot 1, so as to guarantee continuity of the very productive and
strategic commercial operations currently taking place at Lot 1.
Cabinet also resolved that the offer letter of Lot 1 (229
hectares) to Mr Mbudzana be consequently revoked and that he be considered for
land allocation in other available areas in Chipinge district. Herald
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