Farmers welcome tobacco mop up sales

Elita Chikwati-Acting Features Editor 

Farmers and auction floor operators have welcomed the position taken by Government to allow mop up sales every Wednesday until the crop is finished.

The move will enable farmers who still have the crop to sell and be able to prepare adequately for the forthcoming season.

The 2022 tobacco auction marketing season officially closed on July 20, but contract sales remain open.

Addressing a post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said daily auction sales closed on July 20, but mop up sales would continue every Wednesday. 

Action floor operators said this was a good move as some farmers still had tobacco at their farms.

Premier Tobacco Floors executive director Mr Owen Murumbi said they had an advantage in that their auction floor was small and did not require 500 bales to constitute a sale.

Yesterday PTF conducted the first mop up sale and sold 850 bales which they said was viable for their business.

“Running a sale is viable for us as we only need about 150 bales. We are happy that we are allowed to conduct sales. TIMB is aware of our position. We are different from other major auction floors and our business models are different. We did not want to close, but the staggered sales will help us,” he said.

Mr Murumbi said there were fears that some farmers would sell their crop to middlemen.

“Some middlemen are misinforming farmers and telling them that the season is closed and growers cannot continue to sell their tobacco. We are afraid the tobacco will all be taken by these middlemen so if possible, we should be allowed to conduct sales everyday,” he said.

Rusape farmer, Mrs Morina Mudadi said it was good that there were several mop up days.

“We had not finished processing our tobacco. Now sales will continue until all the crop is finished, we will have enough time to process and deliver to the floors and sell our crop.

“We hope buyers will continue offering viable prices as was the case before the season closed,” she said.

Mvurwi farmer Mrs Hazvinei Marowa said the staggered mop up sales will give farmers enough time to prepare for sales.

“There is no panic as we know we can still sell our crop and prepare for the next season. It is important that stakeholders also consult farmers on the ground when coming up with closing dates,” she said.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president, Dr Shadreck Makombe said farmers were happy for the continuation of sale.

 “We thank authorities for taking heed of farmers’ concerns. The mop us sales are quite meaningful to farmers as they can salvage whatever they have given the situation the growers had found themselves in. We are encouraging our farmers to take advantage of the mop up sales and clear everything and have money to buy inputs for the summer cropping season.

“Tobacco would have gone to waste had sales been stopped but now farmers can still sell and get money,” he said.

Tobacco Farmers Union vice president, Mr Edward Dune welcomed Government’s intervention.

“Some of our farmers could not supply the leaf on time due to reasons beyond their control. We have a listening Government which considers farmers’ concerns,” he said.

Meanwhile, tobacco growers had by Tuesday sold 191 million kilogrammes of tobacco worth US$582 million compared to 199 million kilogrammes valued at US$555 million same period last year.

The industry had targeted a volume of 250 million kilogrammes of tobacco for the 2022 marketing season but TIMB chief executive, Mr Meanwell Gudu said due to the poor rains which affected the crop, the target could be missed.

“The 2021/22 season was characterised by late onset of rains, with most areas receiving effective rains around end of November to early December 2021. That was followed by a dry spell which stretched up to end of December. 

“Incessant and excessive rains in January caused water logging, nutrient leaching, and disrupted weeding and other agronomic operations. That adversely affected the quantity and quality of tobacco produced by some growers this season. We may fall short of reaching the set target this season,” he said.