71 000 register to grow tobacco

Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter—
Communal farmers have continued diversifying to tobacco with at least 8 860 growers having registered to grow the crop for the first time during the 2015 season. Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board statistics show that 71 078 farmers have registered to grow tobacco next season compared to 64 784 who had registered during the same period last year. Communal farmers constitute 46 percent of the registered growers with 32 903 coming from this sector.
A1 farmers constitute 26 539, A2 are 6 120 and small scale sector has 5 516 growers.

Communal farmers are traditionally the chief food producers and their shift to tobacco has seen a boost in production to 216 million kilogrammes during the 2014 selling season.
TIMB chief executive, Dr Andrew Matibiri, said communal farmers had a great contribution towards tobacco production.

“The contribution of the communal farmers towards tobacco production continues to grow every season. There have also been great strides in the development of tobacco growing areas as farmers improve their livelihoods and life styles,” he said.

Dr Matibiri said TIMB, the Tobacco Research Board and the Farmers Development Trust had responded to the increase in the number of farmers and were offering technical advice to willing farmers.
“We are offering free lessons throughout the tobacco season and farmers can request for experts on certain areas they still have challenges with,” he said.

He said although the number of A2 farmers was increasing, the rate was low when compared to the increase of tobacco growers from the communal sector.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union vice president Mr Berean Mukwende, said farmers were in business and made informed decisions based on the viability of the enterprise.

“Farmers want to make money and they will diversify to crops that will be giving reasonable prices during that time. As long as prices are viable, farmers will be willing to produce the crop,” he said.
Zimbabwe Indigenous Women Farmers Association Trust president, Mrs Depinah Nkomo, said most communal farmers have accumulated wealth from tobacco growing.

“A number of communal farmers have bought cattle, farming equipment and implements and this shows the crop is lucrative.
“This is a good development that communal farmers are now into commercial agriculture and earning a living from it,” she said.