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Precious Manomano Herald Reporter
Tobacco farmers need to adopt more energy-efficient curing technologies, plant woodlots if they wish to fuel barns with wood, and look at other renewable sources of energy, and stop chopping down natural indigenous woodland, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Anxious Masuka, told a recent workshop.
The recent 2022 National Tobacco Workshop held in Harare was looking at alternative energy sources and conservation techniques to conserve the natural woodland cover.
Tobacco farmers largely rely on wood for curing the crop, which is acceptable if fast-growing woodlot timber is used, since this is a renewable resource, but not acceptable if natural indigenous timber is cut down and burnt as fuel. New and practical technologies can ensure that curing is far more efficient.
Dr Masuka said a request had been made by the industry to have part of the Tobacco Afforestation Levy used for demonstration of efficient curing technologies such as rocket barns that halve fuel use.
A rocket barn derives its name from its ability to draw in dry air using exhaust smoke “like a rocket” which gains its upward thrust from exhaust fumes.
Experts say it is efficient and requires 47 to 50 percent of the fuel wood required for a conventional barn to complete a curing cycle. It has now been adopted by most small-scale growers and is widely used in Zimbabwe.
“Government appreciates all the initiatives that are being done by industry players to improve sustainability of tobacco production and if sustainability is unlocked, growth can be achieved rapidly.
“We encourage our growers to use renewable sources of energy for curing tobacco and they should not cut down indigenous trees for fuel wood for curing tobacco. Doing so is like robbing from our future generations,” said Dr Masuka.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) recently trained farmers to use sustainable practices for tobacco production.
TIMB chairperson Mr Pat Devenish said high costs of production and side-marketing were the major challenges affecting the sustainable production of tobacco.
“Concerns have also been raised with regards to growers facing viability challenges as a result of increased costs of production. Prices of inputs are generally indexed on the parallel market exchange rate.
“I wish to reiterate that side marketing, if unchecked, is an unnecessary evil to the industry which affects the sustainability, orderly marketing, viability and productivity of the tobacco industry, “he said.
Climate change continued to threaten agriculture and it was therefore imperative that all involved in agriculture should put in place necessary measures to mitigate against recurrent droughts and flooding.
Mr Devenish highlighted that export markets are now demanding that Zimbabwe produces tobacco in a sustainable way, and farmers need to do so to remain competitive.
Zimbabwe is one of the largest producers of tobacco in Africa and the world’s fourth largest exporter after China, Brazil and the United States of America.
Tobacco is ranked as one of the most economically important non-food crops in Zimbabwe, earning millions of dollars annually. The tobacco crop is important to the country as a foreign currency earner, contributing to improved livelihoods and employing a large number of the poor rural population. Earnings from tobacco have improved the livelihoods of both smallholder, medium and large-scale farmers and support the tobacco processing industry.
Online Reporter