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Precious Manomano-Herald Reporter
Tobacco farmers have intensified land preparations and are ready to plant the crop starting early next month.
Both irrigated and dryland tobacco farmers are engaged in different field activities as they are geared towards transplanting seedlings from the seedbeds to the field.
Currently farmers are putting final touches such as discing, ridging, fertilisation and chemical dressing of plant stations, hardening of seedlings in seedbeds; weed herbicides are also being sprayed.
The irrigation tobacco transplanting is set to begin on September 1 while the rain fed crop would be transplanted beginning mid-October.
Tobacco Farmers Union Trust president, Mr Victor Mariranyika said all is in place in preparation to plant the irrigated tobacco next month adding that farmers need to expand the production in order to surpass last season’s output.
“Preparations to plant irrigation tobacco are now at an advanced stage and farmers have enough equipment and water to ensure the success of the crop. Farmers are currently hardening the seedlings in preparation to plant next month. Last season was a good season and we also anticipate another brighter season but l urge farmers to expand their hectares,”he said.
Mr Mariranyika also urged farmers to sign contracts which they fully understood to avoid disagreements that may emanate between the contractors and themselves. Sowing of seedbeds starts on June 1 for irrigated crops. Most smallholder farmers who rely on rain-fed agriculture were expected to start sowing last month and this month.
Government has also assured farmers that there was enough seed for all crops, urging them to work hard to produce better yields.
Recently, Tobacco Farmers Union Trust vice president Mr Edward Dune urged growers to buy inputs as they sell their crop at the floors.
“We are witnessing another fast beckoning tobacco season. All is in place. We are ready to plant tobacco next month. Farmers have been busy with soil testing to get correct recommendations on nutrients required so they can get high quality leaves,”he said.
Mrs Charity Munaiwa of Banket said farmers were geared to embark on the new season, adding that they were busy attending to various issues such as wheat, gardening and monitoring tobacco seedbeds. “We are excited that the new season has begun, but this is the stressful period because of various duties which all need attention at the same time,” she said.
This season 295 million kg of tobacco bought from the farmers for US$895million was sold compared to 206 million kg bought for US$630 million last year.
This is the largest ever tobacco crop.
Tobacco is ranked as one of the most economically important non-food crops in Zimbabwe, earning millions in foreign currency annually. It is important to the country as a foreign currency earner, contributing to improved livelihoods and employing a large number of the rural population. Earnings from tobacco have improved the livelihoods of both smallholder, medium and large-scale farmers.
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