Some 2,900 white-owned farms earmarked for compulsory acquisition as part of Zimbabwe's controversial land reforms were ordered to stop operating today as a new law took effect
The law gives President Robert Mugabe's government sweeping powers to seize farmland.
But many of the affected farmers ignored the deadline and continued their business, Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) spokeswoman Ms Jenni Williams said.
"Nobody knows what to do, where we're going," one farmer said on condition of anonymity, for fear of retribution.
"There's not a lot of farming going on at the moment anyway" because Zimbabwe is in the middle of the southern African winter, he said.
Mr Mugabe's controversial land reforms turned violent two years ago, as government supporters calling themselves war veterans began occupying white-owned farms and demanded that they be redistributed to landless blacks.
On May 10th the government amended the Land Acquisition Act to order farmers whose property has been earmarked for acquisition to stop farming 45 days after a notice of acquisition has been issued for their land and vacate their property within 90 days.
The affected farmers, according to CFU, represent about 60 per cent of the white farmers who held some 4,800 title deeds before the land reforms were accelerated two years ago.
Farmers who ignore the deadline could face up to two years in jail or a 20,000-Zimbabwe-dollar (₢404 US dollars) fine.
Mr Williams expressed fears of violence on the farms as the deadline passed and farmers continued working, but by mid-day no violence had been reported on the farms.
AFP