Reaping of early planted tobacco begins

Oliver Kazunga

Reaping of early irrigated tobacco crop has started in some parts of the country where good agronomic practices have been adhered to, according to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB).

Tobacco is the country’s second largest foreign currency earners after gold predominantly cultivated by small-scale farmers who were allocated land under the land reform programme Zimbabwe embarked on in 2000.

The tobacco sector is one of the areas under the agrarian reforms that has performed exceptionally well.

Marketing of the early irrigated tobacco crop is expected to start next month with stakeholders and the Government targeting 300 million kilogrammes of the golden leaf this year.

Reports say proceeds of tobacco alone are enough to procure fuel for the country the whole year.

“Reaping of the early irrigated crop is underway with reports of promising leaf quality in areas where good agronomic practices have been followed.

“Maintaining high-quality tobacco is also paramount so growers are encouraged to stay on top of agronomy.

“With efforts to ensure fair competition to secure better prices for farmers, proper tobacco handling and storage are also critical to reducing post-harvest losses,” said TIMB in a statement.

Despite the adverse impact of the El-Nino-induced drought experienced last year due to a poor rainfall pattern in the 2023/24 summer cropping season, the country produced 236 million kg of tobacco.

In 2022, smallholder farmers, who contribute 60 percent of the beneficiaries of the land reform programme, harvested an estimated 80 percent of the record tobacco crop of 294 million kg Zimbabwe produced.

Tobacco production involves sowing seeds and maintaining a seedbed for three months, land preparation and preparing ridges onto which they will transplant the seedlings.

Meanwhile, the Government has extended the deadline for destroying tobacco seedbeds for the 2024/25 season to January 15.

TIMB, which regulates the production and marketing of the golden leaf produced in the country, has said Plant Pests and Diseases (Tobacco) Regulations, 1979, mandates that all tobacco seedbeds be destroyed by 31 December to break the life cycle of pests and diseases that can affect tobacco plants.

“However, due to a prolonged dry spell and delayed rains, farmers relying on rain-fed dryland tobacco could not transplant in time due to insufficient water resources.

“The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka, has extended the deadline for destroying tobacco seedbeds to 15 January 2025,” it said, adding that the decision ensures farmers can preserve their investments and reap the benefits of their months of hard work.