dyton mupawaenda
Precious Manomano-Herald Reporter
Some tobacco farmers ignore the law and best advice of destroying tobacco stalks after reaping, allowing tobacco re-growth, which results in the spread of pests and diseases.
Tobacco farmers are presently delivering the crop to the floors, but as they do so, they are expected to destroy the living plants left in the fields.
The Plant Pests and Disease Act makes it mandatory for farmers to destroy all living tobacco plants by the May 15 deadline every year and failure to do so attracts a fine.
Non-compliance by farmers in removing stalks has resulted in the spread of diseases, thereby threatening the lucrative tobacco industry.
Tobacco Farmers Union Trust president Mr Victor Mariranyika said the law that all farmers are expected to have removed all tobacco in fields by May 15 every year still stands to strengthen awareness of such legislative issues.
But Mr Mariranyika also said there was need to review legislative dates since some of the farmers will still be harvesting during that time.
“We are encouraging farmers to completely destroy the stalks as we have seen the increase of re-growths, he said. We need to sustain the industry through quality tobacco and this can only be achieved by sticking to set legislative dates meant to protect the farmers from this threat of Aphid transmitted diseases.”
Tobacco Farmers Union Trust vice president Mr Edward Dune said it was important to follow the requirements of the law.
“There is a need to sustain the industry through quality tobacco and this can only be achieved by sticking to set legislative dates meant to protect the farmers from this threat of diseases, he said. Everyone knows about this law. Non-compliant farmers are likely to face the risk of high production costs because of the costs that are associated with the treatment of the soil.”
Non-compliance by tobacco growers with the regulation has continued to increase despite awareness campaigns carried out by several organisations such as the Tobacco Research Board, Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board and some farmers’ unions.
Failure by farmers to remove stalks has resulted in the spread of diseases and resurfacing of diseases that had become extinct for over 60 years, threatening the viability of the industry that is contributing immensely to economic growth.
Most commercial farmers are compliant and the problem is mostly with smallholder farmers where most of them were complaining of unavailability of labour force to do the work whilst others were showing ignorance on the importance of destalking.
Mrs Tamari Rucheya of Maheu area in Banket said the process of destalking was expensive since there was a need of hiring people to do the work.
“We know that the law requires us to destalk but this is another serious work which needs a lot of money, she said.
There is nothing we can do but to follow what the law says. We are aware of the law, but most farmers here delay removing the stalks because of limited time.
This time we are also busy doing serious business in gardens whilst others are at the auction floors selling tobacco.”
Mr Elton Mumanikidzwa of Dalston area in Raffingora showed ignorance on destalking of tobacco.
Tobacco is the major agricultural export, contributing nearly US$1 billion annually.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter