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George Maponga in Masvingo

The Chiredzi Civil Protection Committee has allayed fears that sugar cane farmers whose crop was flattened by Cyclone Freddy-induced strong winds on Monday night at Hippo Valley Estates will incur heavy losses as the cane had not been uprooted.

Strong winds swept through Ward 19 in Chiredzi on Monday night and flattened sugar cane in several fields in Hippo Valley sparking fears farmers could incur heavy losses.

The Agritex department made an assessment to establish the impact of the winds and allayed fears of any serious effects on the crop.

Chiredzi Civil Protection Committee District Chair Mr Lovemore Chisema says while a complete assessment to establish the total area of cane plantations affected by the cyclone-induced winds is underway, preliminary indications showed affected farmers would incur minimal losses, if any.

“We dispatched Agritex teams to establish the extend of the damage to farmers’ cane crop in Ward 19, Hippo Valley Estates and they indicated the losses will be minimal if any because the crop was not uprooted,” said Mr Chisema.

“The team indicated that the sugar cane that was left flattened by strong winds can still be harvested when its due because it was not uprooted so the damage was very limited.”

Mr Chisema said the district has been receiving intermittent light showers ever since a weakened Cyclone Freddy entered Zimbabwe from Mozambique.

The cyclone has to date claimed one life, swept away roofs from classrooms at schools in some areas while in others houses collapsed due to incessant rains.

Sugar cane is grown at Triangle, Hippo Valley and Mkwasine estates in the Lowveld under irrigation because the region receives scanty rains.

The cane harvesting season runs from around April to December yearly.