Mvurwi area is in Mazowe district, some 100km north of Harare. It is a high potential area where tobacco production has expanded dramatically since land reform thanks in large part to the support from multiple contracting companies operating in the area.
This was traditionally a tobacco growing area when large-scale farms dominated, combined with livestock keeping and some horticulture and orchards. When the land reform took place and large-scale, white-owned farms gave way to a mix of small-scale (A1) and medium-scale (A2) farms, the agricultural landscape changed dramatically. Initially, A1 farmers focused on maize – the crop they knew from the communal areas – but then when the opportunity opened up, many started with tobacco, often only 1 hectare of contracted crop, but sufficient to make money. Others extended tobacco and the area became a hub for production, with tobacco firms moving their auction floors to the area. Tobacco is not an easy crop, and contracting terms may not be ideal, so some have again switched, but this time to horticulture, including tomatoes, beans, sweet and Irish potatoes. Here, investment in irrigation and development of markets has made it possible to make money in ways not behoven to external contractors.
This article is from Zimbabweland, a blog written by IDS Research Fellow Ian Scoones. Zimbabweland focuses on issues related to rural livelihoods and land reform in Zimbabwe.
