ZIMBABWE: MACHEKE: FARMERS RETURN

Описание: (24 Apr 2000) English/Nat

When farmer Dave Stevens was killed in Zimbabwe ten days ago, farmers in the Macheke area left their farms for Harare for fear of further attack from veterans' groups.

On Monday, some 40 families decided to return - much to the relief of the workers who had remained on the farms and found they had nowhere else to go.

The whole community in Macheke is in shock over the killing of local farmer Dave Stevens more than a week ago.

They're still very upset by the turn of events but argue their crops can't wait.

Many of them are tobacco farmers and are keen to try to get as much as possible of their tobacco crop ready for export when the sales begin on Wednesday.

Mick and Helena Rose are fourth generation farmers in Zimbabwe whose whole family are involved in farming.

The Rose's crop, weighing in at over 100 tonnes could be worth up to 180-thousand U-S dollars.

Because the Zimbabwe dollar is so weak at present, Mick Rose plans to sell the lowest quality first in the hope that things will get better and the price will rise again.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
(Question) "How did the workers react when you came back?
(Answer) "They were pleased to see me obviously they are very apprehensive. The whole area is tense they now that farmer Stevens has been killed.They know that other guys have been beaten up. It's not a happy state of affairs at the moment. They are trying to get life back to normal as soon as possible."
SUPER CAPTION: Mick Rose, Tobacco Farmer

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I didn't think it would get to this kind of violence. There was tension in this area for a good four weeks. But nothing could have made us think it could get to this, we are devastated."
SUPER CAPTION: Helena Rose, Tobacco Farmer

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I am sceptical at the moment about the sale of the tobacco because the state of the Zimbabwe dollar is not conducive to selling our tobacco early. "
SUPER CAPTION: Mick Rose, Tobacco Farmer

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