Farmers worried

Tobacco Control directly affects tobacco production.

Articles of the FCTC deal with regulating the contents of tobacco products, provision of support for economically viable alternative activities and ban on the use of ingredients in tobacco products among other things.

Most farmers think the move is meant to ban tobacco production which had become the source of livelihood for many people.

The affected farmers said they had since abandoned cotton and maize switching to tobacco which had favourable prices and instant cash.

Several farmers told The Herald yesterday that they had acquired several assets through tobacco production while others had managed to send their children to expensive schools using tobacco profits.

The farmers said they were now supporting other projects using money from tobacco production.

Mt Darwin farmer Mr Rinos Mamhodza said he was disturbed by the stance taken by Government as this may affect tobacco production.

“Tobacco has been our mainstay and we do not know what to do if the crop is banned. We were planning on increasing production and I do not see myself getting employed in another sector,” he said.

Odzi farmer Mrs Hilda Gangazha who was once a cotton grower said it was possible for farmers to switch to other crops but there was no guarantee for markets.