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Precious Manomano-Herald Reporter
Preparations for the next tobacco season are at an advanced stage, with farmers already sowing tobacco seedbeds covering 26,13 hectares compared to the 14,68 ha sown by this stage last year.
This is a huge increase since the majority of farmers are well prepared for the season so that they break another record in tobacco growing.
Farmers are set to start planting irrigated tobacco from September 1, although the bulk of the crop, the dryland crop, only goes into the ground after the rain season begins.
Tobacco farmers are optimistic that they will surpass this year’s record harvest of around 300 million kg if contractors honour their obligations by supplying enough inputs at the right time.
Mrs Tecla Mhlanga of Banket at Maheu farm indicated that there are high hopes of achieving a good harvest if contractors support farmers fully.
“As we start the season, we appeal for the contractors to give all the necessary support so that we fully embark on the new season. We are geared for work but we want inputs on time and the payments as well,” she said.
Mr Bruce Zinyawo of Karoi said he earned US$8 000 from tobacco farming this year and managed to buy a scotch cart, irrigation tanks and build a home.
He said tobacco growing should be taken seriously since the crop has sustained the majority of farmers.
“I am happy that I bought all these things through tobacco growing. I am planning to increase hectares next season. I started tobacco farming in 2011. I planted 2 hectares and came up with 26 bales. I am ready for the next season and I have no doubt that I can grow 5 hectares. I wish to buy a house in Harare with tobacco proceeds. What we want is more assistance so that we engage fully in tobacco farming. We have the energy to do so, but the capacity is still lacking. We need more financial support as youths,” he said.
Tobacco Farmers Union Trust vice president Mr Edward Dune said it is critical for the Government to empower smallholder farmers so that they will not depend on contracting companies.
He said TIMB as a regulator should work with genuine contractors who are reliable.
“If Government continues to empower smallholder farmers like in case of Pfumvudza, then farmers are assured of getting inputs on time,” said Mr Dune.
“Unscrupulous middlemen should be eliminated to ensure that farmers get what they actually deserve. Tobacco has transformed the majority of people’s lives, but there is need to ensure that value addition is done in the country to ensure that our farmers get more money.”
Tobacco Farmers Union Trust president, Mr Victor Mariranyika, said tobacco is the biggest foreign currency earning crop which needs a practical action approach when growing it.
Contracting companies should provide enough inputs and on time to ensure that best results are achieved.
He said several smallholder farmers’ lives have positively changed, adding that production costs should not rise to ensure that farmers get a profit.
Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) public relations officer, Mrs Chelesani Tsarwe described the season as a good marketing season compared to the previous years.
“We have surpassed the set targets, meaning we had a good and very productive season,” she said.
She recommended farmers to use certified tobacco seeds of high purity and germination for economic and healthy seedling production.
“A seed rate of 5g/ha is found to be optimum for all types of tobacco. Higher seed rate results in over-crowding of seedlings, which in turn lowers their quality.
“The sowing time of seed in nursery varies from area, region to region guided by tobacco legislative dates which recommend the start of seedbed production on the 1 June of each year for irrigated crop. Dryland seedling sowing time depends on the climate of a particular tobacco growing region,” she said.
Tobacco is the largest agricultural export and ranks third after gold and platinum group metals.
According to the latest report from TIMB, a total of 293 million kg of tobacco worth US$887 million was sold this year compared to 201 million kg worth US$616 million sold in the same period last year.
This is the highest record tobacco production since growing of the crop started.
The 2023 auction tobacco marketing season will close on Monday next week, but sales at the contract floors will continue until such a time when individual contractors have fully received their tobacco.
Growers are advised to sell their auction tobacco through a mop up sale and the final auction clean up sales will be held on Wednesday 30 August.
The major tobacco growing regions are Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Midlands, Manicaland and Masvingo provinces, while Matabeleland is slowly venturing into the sector.
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