Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) is a farming parastatal in Zimbabwe under the Ministry of Agriculture Mechanization and Irrigation Development.
It has a substantial land holding across the country, including 21 estates of varying sizes, with a total of 98,000 ha of arable land, 19,000 ha of which is irrigable.
In the last few years, as part of a reform programme focused on parastatals, the government has encouraged ARDA to go into public-private partnerships with private companies in an attempt to revive their fortunes, seeking new finance and investment from the private sector. 40 companies bid for such partnerships in 2014, involving a mix of local and foreign capital.
Currently there are 12 estates with such joint ventures: Chisumbanje, Middle Sabi, Katiyo, Mkwasine, Sisi, Nandi, Faire Acres, Jotsholo, Antelope, Ngwezi, Sedgewik and Doreen’s Pride. Those that remain wholly managed by Government include Balu, Sanyati, Muzarabani, Mushumbi Pools, Nijo, Katiyo Main Estate, Rusitu, Magudu and Kairezi.
The most (in)famous is the Chisumbanje estate, where tycoon Billy Rautenbach took over operations, and built a mill for processing sugar cane. Land disputes and controversies over ethanol pricing and markets have plagued the operation for some years.
Arda Private Public Partnership Projects
| Estate | Farming Activities | Partnership Model | Private sector partner | Year of establishment |
| 1. Chisumbanje | · Sugarcane Production | Joint Venture | Green Fuel (Pvt) Ltd and Macdom Investments (Pvt) Ltd | BOT in 2009 but converted to JV in 2013 |
| · Ethanol Production | ||||
| 2. Middle Sabi | · Sugarcane Production | 20- Year Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) | Rating Investments (Pvt) Ltd | 2009 |
| 3. Umguza Plots – 45ha | · Horticulture, Maize and Wheat | 10-year Rehabilitate Operate and Transfer (ROT) Arrangements | Obert Mpofu | 2009 |
| 4. Katiyo (193ha Rumbizi & Chiwira Sections) | · Green Leaf Tea Production | 12-Year Management Contract | Eastern Highlands Plantations Limited | 2010 |
| 5. Mkwasine | · Game/Safari Hunting | 5- Year Management Contract | Zambezi Hunters (Pvt) Ltd | 2010 |
| 6. Nandi | · Sugarcane Production | 5- Year Management Contract Arrangement | Mangwa Quip (Pvt) Ltd | 2014 |
| 7. Fair Acres | · Soyabeans (summer) and wheat (winter) | 5-Year share Farming Arrangement | Northern Farming (Pvt) Ltd | 2014 |
| 8. Jotsholo | · Cotton Seed Production | 1-Year Renewable Contract Farming Arrangement | Chinarda (Pvt) Ltd | 2014 |
| 9. Antelope | · Maize (summer) wheat (winter) | 5- Year Management Contract | Trek Petroleum (Pvt) Ltd | 2015 |
| 10. Ngwezi | · Maize (summer) wheat (winter) | 5-Year share Farming Arrangement | Trek Petroleum (Pvt) Ltd | 2015 |
| 11. Sedgewick | · Livestock Rearing | 5-Year Grazing Contract | Madzimbabwe Asphalt | 2015 |
| 12. Doreen’s Pride | · Livestock Rearing, Maize and wheat | 10-Year Contract Farming Arrangement | Trek Petroleum (Pvt) Ltd | 2015 |
Further Reading
See Gushungo Dairy.
References
- Can joint ventures revive large-scale commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe? Zimbabwe Land, published:31 Oct, Retrieved: 20 Nov 2016