Zimbabwe: Coffee Output Plummets

AllAfrica Global Media ^ | 1 July 2010 | Bernard Mpofu

[george76]

ZIMBABWE'S coffee production has hit a record low since Independence following the chaotic land reform exercise that reduced coffee growing estates to four from 120.

Statistics gathered after a high level coffee stakeholder conference held last week in Mutare show that organic coffee production mostly in Zimbabwe's Eastern Highlands pl-unged to 300 tonnes in 2010 from a peak production of 15 000 tonnes in 1990 when farmers raked in US$37,5 million from sales.

Production has been in freefall for the past 10 years, signalling a threat to the livelihood of both commercial and communal farmers ...

Today the coffee sector is moribund, with 300 tonnes produced in 2010...

Most of the coffee growing estates were taken over during the land reform exercise. Until we restore our record on property rights, production will continue to be on the decline. We now have four estates from 120

[Mmogamer]

What did you expect when you take farms that work to farms get covered with weeds and no one works it?

[C19fan]

/src on/Unexpected?/src off/ Who is John Galt?

[MaxMax]

Damn you white folk!

That worked out well, didn't it? Bush's fault.

[Farmer Dean]

This is what happens when the socialists/nationalists run out of things to steal.The concept of working for a living is totally foreign to them.Hope they all starve to death or murder each other.

[Dallas59]

It must be....RACISM!

[ProtectOurFreedom]

A 98% drop in production "signals a threat to the livelihood of both commercial and communal farmers"? Now THAT is surprising news.

It's a good thing Obamao is not putting the US on a similar path.

[Thermalseeker]

This is what happens when the socialists/nationalists run out of things to steal.

Hereinafter referred to as "Obamanomics"....

[Spok]

A glimpse of Obama’s ‘hope and change’.

[null and void]

This is what happens when the socialists/nationalists run out of things to steal.

More typically they look next door.

They have it. We want/need it. Let's take it.

Socialism is a practically guaranteed recipe for a war.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

They cut down the coffee trees to grow corn instead.

[himno hero]

yup, you can Hope to have Change for a coffee once he’s done.

[himno hero]

yup, you can Hope to have Change for a coffee once he’s done.

[Artemis Webb]

Many parts of Africa produce excellent coffee. This is a real shame and everybody has suffered because of Robert Mugabe’s twisted and evil concept of “social justice”.

[southernnorthcarolina]

The constant drip of bad news is brewing trouble for these has-beans. There are grounds for concern here, as business is unlikely to perk up.

[Venturer]

Kepp electing Kenyans in America and expect America to turn into Kenya.

[reg45]

Zimbabwe is capable, by reason of climate and soil conditions, capable of producing some of the finest coffee in the world. It has, however, lost the social and political will to do so.

[RC2]

This is happening right here on a smaller scale...........for now. Just look at welfare in the big cities. Have more kids, get more welfare. Steal rather than work.....it’s the norm in some places.

[KarlInOhio]

Let me guess: this is the 30th year of a drought that should break sometime soon leading Zimbabwe to new agricultural wealth. Why is it that droughts hit socialists the hardest?

[aruanan]

Zimbabwe is capable, by reason of climate and soil conditions, capable [sic] of producing some of the finest coffee in the world. It has, however, lost the social and political will to do so.

Or, more accurately, minus the reification:

Zimbabwe is capable, by reason of climate and soil conditions, of producing some of the finest coffee and other agricultural products in the world. The social and political gangsters who have seized the government, though, have dispossessed and driven away those whose talent and hard work for generations have produced the rich output from the innate geographical and climatic conditions.