The ManicaPost
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Senior Reporter
THE menace of veld fires has once again reared its ugly head in Nyanga, destroying more than 200 hectares of timber plantations worth millions of dollars.
The fire, which raged on for two days before it was controlled, destroyed timber plantations belonging to Dongo Sawmills, as well as those of resettled farmers in the areas surrounding Troutbeck Resort.
Pine trees that had grown to between seven and 12 years were totally destroyed, thereby forcing the estates into premature harvesting to salvage something from their investments.
Although the cause of the fire is yet to be established, arson is believed to have been at play, with the affected parties blaming mobile saw-millers who want contracts to harvest the trees.
Settlers have also been accused of starting fires when clearing their land for agricultural purposes, particularly potato production.
Dongo Sawmills director, Mr Francis Dongo, told The Manica Post that they are still assessing the extent of the damage caused by the fire, but the loss is a big setback.
“This is not the first time we have been affected by fire. In 2008, we had a fire that destroyed a big part of our plantations and we replanted the trees. These are the trees that have been destroyed. About 120ha of the trees were at 12 years while another 80ha was between seven and nine years. We are still assessing the monetary value of the lost timber, but it can go up to millions because more than 370 000 trees were destroyed,” he said.
Mr Dongo said they now have to prematurely harvest the timber using the mobile saw-millers who are suspected to have deliberately started the fire.
“Since we now have to cut so many trees, we do not have the capacity to do it on our own. We have to rope in these mobile saw millers since we are racing against time to make sure all affected trees are cleared. These trees were not yet mature and therefore the window period is shorter. If we do not finish in time we might lose all the timber,” he said.
Mr Dongo also said people resettled in forest plantations need to maintain the trees instead of trying to diversify into potato production.
“It will be better if people settled in the estates retain the trees instead of trying to diversify into potato production,” said Mr Dongo.
The settlers, however, said they are only putting small portions of their land under potato production while maintaining the rest for timber.
They also blamed the bush saw millers for starting the fires.
Mr Trymore Taguvasha, a resettled farmer, said although he had not lost any property, he had lost all his pine trees.
“I have about six hectares of land here and I had been pruning and maintaining the pine trees in my plot for about eight years now. I have lost all the trees. I am now thinking of going into potato production as I will not be able to recover from this loss,” he said.
Another villager, Mr Wellington Magoche, said following the fire he had already contracted the bush saw millers to harvest his trees. “Maturing trees could have fetched more for us. The timber we are harvesting from the burnt trees is not good enough for roofing or doors since it is too thin. We will have to take it to Glen View in Harare where it will be used in furniture making,” said Mr Goche.
“The mobile saw millers are armtwisting us into contracting them to harvest the timber. Sadly they do not wait for the trees to mature first. When they feel they are getting a raw deal from us, they start the fires,” he said.
The farmers have called for the regulation of the mobile saw millers.
Mr Phillip Mapara said Government should intervene and come up with stringent laws that penalises those found guilty of deliberately starting veld fires.
He called for an all stakeholders meeting to come up with ways of maintaining the forests.
Representatives from the Environment Management Agency (EMA) and Forestry Commission visited the plantations early this week to assess the damage caused by the fire and see what action could be taken.
Timber Producers Federation’s chief executive officer, Mr Darlington Duwa, was not picking up calls by the time of going to print.
