JUST IN: Farmer thanks President

Source: JUST IN: Farmer thanks President | The Herald July 16, 2019

Mr Le Vieux

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Top Chipinge coffee farmer and owner of Farfell Estates Mr Richard Le Vieux has thanked President Mnangagwa for resolving the ownership dispute of a portion of the farm enabling exports of the crop and other produce to continue.

Mr Le Vieux said this when he appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Rural Resettlement, Water and Climate Change chaired by Nembudziya legislator Justice Mayor Wadyajena today. The farm was at the centre of a wrangle pitting Mr Le Vieux, who also grows macadamia nuts and avocados for export at the estate and indigenous farmer Mr Remembrance Mbudzana.

“I want to say His Excellency the President and the ministry of foreign affairs have acted swiftly to address the situation of destabilisation of a successful export enterprise and I want to go on record thanking them for that not for me but for the country and the business which is an employer and exporter and an important economic actor in that remote place,” he said.

“I am glad to report to everybody here today that the situation at the Estate is calm and exports are going full speed and we can now plan further investments beyond the investments which we have made which amounts to million and I am not talking about investments made 20 years ago, but like our avocado factory that was only made three years ago. So the resolution of this issue means we can continue with our investments and continue with our growth.”

Mr Le Viex said the Mozambican minister of agriculture had visited his Estate and offered him land to establish a similar venture in that country.

More to follow…