This is not to say that large-scale
commercial units no longer exist.
Especially important in Masvingo
province is the estate sector,
including for example the major
sugar estates in the Lowveld,
which largely remained intact
following land reform, with outgrower areas being transferred to
sub-divided A2 plots. Today,
there are still over 4m hectares
under large-scale farming, some
of it in very large holdings, such
as the 350,000 hectare Nuanetsi
ranch in Masvingo province.
There are, however, perhaps only
200-300 white-owned
commercial farmers still
operating, with most having
been displaced, along with a
substantial number of farm
workers.
Land reform has resulted in a
very different farming sector, but
one that is not without
considerable entrepreneurial
dynamism and productive
potential. This major
restructuring of course has had
knock-on consequences for the
agricultural sector as a whole.
Any radical reform will have a
transitional phase as production
systems, markets and trading
priorities readjust. Thus the
transfer of land from the
narrowly-controlled, large-scale
farm sector has resulted in heavy
hits on certain commodities and
markets.
Wheat, coffee and tea have all
suffered, as has the export of
beef. For example, on average,
across the harvests from 2001 to
2009, wheat production
decreased by 27%. Tobacco also
declined dramatically, but
production has bounced back in
recent years as new A2 farmers
have gone into production.
3
National maize production has
become more variable, because
of the reduction of irrigation
facilities and significant droughts
have resulted in shortages, with
average production over this
period down by 31% from 1990s
levels. However other crops and
markets have weathered the
storm and some have boomed.
Aggregate production of small
grains has exploded, increasing
by 163% compared to 1990s
averages. Edible dry bean
production has expanded even
more, up 282%, Cotton
production has increased
slightly, up 13% on average.
The agricultural sector has
certainly been transformed, and
there are major problems in
certain areas, but it certainly has
not collapsed.