Sugar producer, Hippo Valley Estates Limited grew maize and sorghum on the land cleared for sugarcane production, a move that improved food security according to Tongaat Hulett Chief Executive Officer, Aiden Mhere.
Mhere said Tongaat Hullett’s Hippo Valley is committed to continuing to partner with Government in food security initiatives on an annual basis.
“To ensure productive use of the cleared land in the interim, 76 hectares and 750 hectares were put to maize and sorghum respectively and an additional 902 hectares of maize was planted on Company fallow cane land as a break crop,” Mhere said.
“This resulted in the benefit of maximizing land use and further improving food security.”
Besides turning sugarcane land onto maize fields, Tongaat Hulett has also initiated various vertical and horizontal sugarcane growth programs.
Mhere said, “A partnership framework whereby Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe is co-managing certain underperforming out-grower farms is progressing satisfactorily.”
“The Company is also providing financial and technical assistance to a number of new sugarcane out grower development projects with work on ‘Pezulu’ Project measuring 1 168 hectares having started.”
The CEO also said other growth projects, with potential for an additional 11 000 hectares for the benefit of out-growers are under consideration over the next five years.
Part of the land used for the maize and sorghum planting is meant for Project Kilimanjaro.
Tongaat Hulett Chairman Canaan Dube said the Kilimanjaro project works were slowed down on account of delays in obtaining the requisite funding from financial institutions pending further clarity on land tenure, both of which are being progressed.
A total of 2 700 hectares of the virgin land bush was cleared and ripped, and 562 hectares were planted to sugarcane under the Kilimanjaro project.
