Posted on 04/08/2005 12:58:59 PM PDT by Clive
In the first 20 years of independence, Zimbabwean agriculture was the star performer. For most of the period it consistently outperformed all other sectors - except for perhaps tourism, which saw rapid expansion after 1983. What was important about this growth was that it was linked back into industry, commerce and finance and meant that these other sectors also saw good growth and development.
By the year 1997, Zimbabwe was the third largest producer and exporter of good quality, flavored Virginia tobacco, the largest producer of cotton in Africa and one of the world's largest producers of white maize. The country was self-sufficient in all foods and most significantly; the cost of food was the lowest in the entire region.
Samora Machel saw this potential in 1980 and, together with the President of Tanzania, publicly advised Mugabe to take care of this extraordinary resource. It was extraordinary not for what it achieved, but because of the conditions under which these achievements were secured. Zimbabwe is no Uganda - it has a harsh climate, poor soils and variable rainfall.
The first 20 years also saw the gradual emergence of a black commercial farmer elite who by the year 2000, owned and operated one third of all commercial farms and was starting to make a real contribution to the performance of the sector.
Then came Zimbabwe's "great leap forward". An aging oligarchy of political leaders decided that in order to survive they had to wipe out the independent, white, commercial farmer -- with a few exceptions to accommodate those who were Zanu (PF) supporters. Five years later, with eight farmers and hundreds of farm workers dead and many thousands injured in political violence and a military style expulsion and confiscation programme, only a handful of white farmers remain on the land.
The impact has been dramatic -- food shortages are endemic, food prices are now the highest in the region, employment has crashed with over 40 per cent of all workers losing their jobs. Exports have declined from US$3,4 billion in 1997 to US$1,34 billion in 2004 -- a fall of 60 per cent.
In almost every sphere the impact has been negative -- more people are dying from Aids because their diets are so poor, industrial output has contracted by over 40 per cent and is still declining. Faced with no prospects for employment and rapidly declining life expectancy (down 25 years in a decade), a quarter of the total population has fled the country as economic refugees.
The key question facing us is what are the prospects of a turn around and recovery in this key sector? The answer -- like so many others, is not until we get political change and new leadership that can confront the mistakes of the past. However beyond that there are other issues -- where will the people come from to fill agricultural jobs? Decimated by Aids our rural peasant farmers are now unable to even grow their own food. Zimbabwe has no choice but to turn back to large-scale commercial agriculture to address these issues. To do so it will have to make hard decisions about tenure and security for farmers, because without security, there can be no recovery.
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AIDS is now the result of poor diets??!
Hunger accelerates death from AIDS.
I think they're saying that someone who is sick with AIDS gets worse when their diet is inadequate. Those with the infection might develop AIDS quicker on a poor diet.
No external pressure was applied to Zimbabwe to do what they did. They should stew in their own soup.
Clive, how many years have you been posting stories about the sad decline of Zimbabwe? I'm glad you're keeping us posted about this -- America could look like this some day if the worst leaders get into power.
It comes back to the old point, Clive. When the government confiscates land at will and keeps the land titles, banks won't lend money to farmers to plant and properly run farms. It's one of those capitalistic facts that communists hate. Why should banks loan money to plow, seed, and harvest crops with no security on their investor's money?
Their problem began when medicine men were replaced with political agitators
Hunger weakens your immune system making you more likely to contract HIV if you are exposed and letting it progress more rapidly if you have it. It also leads young women and mothers to prostitution in order to feed their families.
For everbloomin sure! DOH!
Thx.
The hated white Rhodesian is long gone. It is now paradise.
Anything else that's happened is unimportant and inconsequencial.
Rhodesians... er Zimbabweans have never been better off!!
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