Govt happy with tobacco auction floors’ preps

he was impressed after touring four auction floors that were licensed to operate this season.
Four auction floors namely Tobacco Sales Floor Limited, Boka Tobacco Auction Floor, Millennium Tobacco Floors and Premier Tobacco Auction Floor will operate during the 2012 tobacco-selling season.
The delegation touring the auction floors included Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development permanent secretary, Mr Ngoni Masoka, Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board chairperson, Mrs Monica Chinamasa, TIMB chief executive, Dr Andrew Matibiri and TIMB operations manager, Mr Meanwell Gudu among other officials.
Mr Moyo said: “There are benchmarks for certain standards that the auction floors have to meet. We have realised that a lot of work has been done at the auction floors compared to last year.”
He said Government was concerned with the welfare of farmers at the auction floors and would want to see tobacco growers receiving satisfactory services. “Preparations for this season are wonderful and maybe some challenges will be seen when farmers start coming to the floors,’ he said.
Mr Moyo said the threat of cholera and typhoid remained a challenge.
“That is why we wanted to see if the auction floors had alternative sources of water in place to ensure farmers always have access to clean and safe water,” he said.
The delegation was also inspecting clinics, toilets and bathrooms for farmers, banks, security, tobacco-handling facilities from the time of delivery until sale and alternative sources of energy among other factors.
Yesterday, workers were putting final touches at the floors.
Farmers have already started booking to sell their crop.