Hippo Valley Estate. Image credit wordpress.com

ZIMSEC O Level Geography Notes:Agriculture:Farming types in Africa:The major estates of Zimbabwe: Hippo Valley case study

  • Hippo Valley estate is located in the S.E Lowveld of Zimbabwe.
  • Size-Large land of size 111 4555 ha leased to a company by government.
  • Ownership-Ownership is by Anglo-American Corporation a TNC with headquarters in London.
  • Products-Products that are produced include sugar cane, bananas, oranges and beef.
  • It started off mainly by growing sugar cane but has diversified to enhance profits.
  • Products are for the home and external markets.
  • Employment-The estate employs 6 500 permanent workers and about 4 000 contract workers during the cane cutting period.
  • Industrial growth- There is a sugar mill for processing cane and also an Afdis factory for making spirits and beers.
  • Research and training– Next to the fence separating the estate from Chiredzi town, a sugar cane research station is suited to the environment to produce quality cane for export.
  • Infrastructure-Hippo Valley High School, Chiredzi general hospital, banks, country clubs, pubs, beerhalls, roads, rails and thermal power station.
ESTATESIZE (Ha)MAIN CROPS/LIVESTOCK
Nijo1 042Horticulture and maize
Muzarabani1 400Cotton, beans
mushumbi600Cotton
Sanyati2 050Cotton, wheat, groundnuts
Doreen's Pride9 591Cotton, wheat
Sisi1 875Cotton, soya beans
Antelope1 500Cotton, wheat
Balu9 388Dairy, beef
Jotsholo769Cotton, rice, wheat
Ngwezi1 129Cotton, wheat
Kezi20 700Beef
Fair acres450Cotton, wheat, beans
Nyamazura1 410Fire cured tobacco
Transsau11 999Beef, dairy
Pungwe valley (Katiyo)3 786Tea, coffee
Rumbizi (Chiwira)6 560Tea, coffee, bananas, apples
Nandi657Cotton, vegetables
Tshvovane471Cotton, wheat
Chisumbanje5 189Cotton, wheat
Middle Sabi3 772Cotton, wheat
Rusitu2 672Coffee, macademia nuts, pineaples, flowers
Sikato1 746Dairy, maize, wheat
Ratelshoek2 771Tea
Zona495Tea, dairy
Hippo valley11 455Sugar cane, bananas,oranges, beef
Triagle13 560Sugar cane, beef
Mazowe4 558Citrus, maize, beef
Mkwasine1 890Wheat, cotton,sugar cane, coffee, beef
  • Elsewhere in Africa, important estates are found in Malawi at Thyolo, Makwasha and Mulanje for tea.
  • In Liberia estates are at Habel and Cavala for rubber and in Kenya at Kericho, Sotic, Wandi Hills and Limuru, all for tea.

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