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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
THE government has successfully revived 15 Agriculture Rural Development Authority (Arda) farms throughout the country as it strengthens partnerships with private firms to breathe life into the idle estates to ensure food security in the country.Deputy Minister of Agriculture – Cropping – Cde Davis Marapira said the government was this year going to enter into public private partnerships with private players to revive seven more estates throughout the country.

In an interview during a tour of the 2,500-hectare Fair Acres Estate in Silobela, Cde Marapira said the public-private partnerships were part of long term measures by the government through Arda to get private firms involved in funding agricultural projects.

“We’re reviving more farms this year so that all Arda farms that have been lying idle are used to improve crop production in the country. The government wants to see the estates fully utilised to improve food security,” said Cde Marapira.

He said considering that drought was imminent in the country this season, the Arda estates would also be used to produce maize.

Cde Marapira said the private players were bringing in new technology in farming- a development he said would result in maximum utilisation of land.

At the Fair Acre Estate, Arda is in partnership with Northern Farming, a local company which has planted 460 hectares of soya beans.

The estate has been fully mechanised with state of the art equipment including centre pivots for irrigation.

Cde Marapira said the estate was going to see a further 300 hectares being put under the maize crop.

Northern Farming manager, Jeremy Vaughan said they were happy to be working with the government through Arda at Fair Acre Estate.

He said they were going to fully maximise land use from now henceforth.

Vaughan, who has been farming since 1985, said they were also going to work with the surrounding communities to impart farming knowledge to them.

“After the soya bean harvest, we’re planting wheat during the winter as we prepare more land to put the maize crop,” he said.

Vaughan said the only challenge they were facing was the unavailability of power – a situation he said had forced them to resort to using generators.

“Using generators is expensive. So we’re glad that Zesa has come and is working on providing us with power,” said Vaughan.

The Member of the House of Assembly for Silobela, Cde Mtokozisi Mpofu said the revival of the estate was very crucial for the economic development of the area, the region and the country at large.

He said he hoped that the local communities would also benefit from the knowledge and farming skills which are being exhibited by Northern Farming.

“This is good for us but locals are crying that the estate is highly mechanised and a few of them have been employed. There is a need to assist them start their small irrigation schemes. So we want to see many small irrigation schemes that benefit the locals,” Cde Mpofu said.

The partnership started two years ago on a seasonal basis and the parties have since signed a five year deal which can be renewed on expiry.

Even if the contract is discontinued, the agreement allows Arda to retain key infrastructure at the estate.

In the next two years, an investment of about $1 million will be made on the Fair Acre Estate to ensure all the land is utilised.

In Matabeleland North, the authority has partnered some investors to rehabilitate the Antelope Estate and Ngwizi Estate.

Arda chairman, Basil Nyabadza last year said 40 bids had been submitted and the parastatal was examining business plans for dairy, livestock, soya beans, maize, potatoes, apple and macadamia fruit nut production to take place at the estates.

The agro-industrial company has 22 estates across the country measuring a total of 98,000 hectares.