Zimbabwe: Cyclone Freddy on the rampage among sugarcane farms

Sugar shortages and sky-high prices are foreseen in Zimbabwe. This is after a part of the Hippo Valley sugarcane plantation, owned by Tongaat, was destroyed by a hailstorm on Monday. Chiredzi sugarcane farmer Daniel Kadema said the winds that came with Cyclone Freddy were devastating. He is one of several contract farmers utilising Hippo Valley estate. "Our crops were flattened and it's going to affect our yield. It will even make harvesting more difficult. But there's nothing we can do. We'll just have to wait and see," he said. This development comes on top of the already strained trading relations between farmers and sugar refinery companies. Economists forecast sugar shortages and say the increase in raw sugar prices will be a contributing factor to the looming shortage. "Prices will increase astronomically," said economist Malvin Chidembo. Contract farmer Simon Mutori said that now that their crops have been ruined farmers' worst fears have been realised. "The little money we ...