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Ellita Chikwati
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board is conducting national crop assessment to establish projected output and assess the level of preparedness for farmers ahead of the opening of the 2019 marketing season.
TIMB corporate communications manager, Isheunesu Moyo, said the exercise will also help in the projection of the output.
“From the results of the assessment, we will be able to project the output, and see when we can start the marketing season. We will also determine the quality of the crop,” he said.
Tobacco farmers are processing their crop for the market with the majority still reaping and curing while others are grading.
Most farmers said they were expecting their payments in foreign currency this season if they are to break even.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union director, Paul Zakariya, said for the irrigated crop, reaping is at advanced stage.
He said the rain fed crop is not ripe for reaping due to delayed onset of rains in most of the tobacco growing regions.
“Increasing costs of production continue to affect tobacco farmers. The increase in the cost of agrochemicals, fuel and labour is burdening tobacco farmers.
“Most of the tobacco farmers do not have easy access to working capital to cushion them in the production cycle and this often results in farmers not fully implementing the recommended good agricultural practices.
“Tobacco farmers are looking forward to a rewarding marketing season. With the current macroeconomic environment the farmers are looking forward to a payment system that will ensure full value of the crop is realised.
‘‘Farmers are calling for 80 percent payment in foreign currency (USD) and 20 percent RTGS payments.
“This is to cushion them from increasing costs associated with RTGS/ bond payments and this will also ensure that farmers can import some of the inputs and machinery without waiting for long to get forex allocation.
‘‘Over and above that, all growers are expecting orderly and smooth marketing without unnecessary delays,” he said.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president, Shadreck Makombe, said it was prudent that farmers be paid in foreign currency considering that they had to import machinery.
“We have been getting foreign currency on the parallel market and this is not conducive. We should get part of our money in foreign currency. The issue is not about tobacco but all export crops,” he said.
Munhenga farmer, Boniface Chitate, said some farmers were experiencing labour challenges.
“We require many workers for reaping and the situation is difficult when one does not have enough funding. The workers will demand a lot of money because the farmer is desperate.
‘‘If we delay harvesting, we will not be able to cope with the volumes and may end up incurring losses,” he said.
According to TIMB, 169 772 farmers have so far registered for the 2018/19 tobacco season, as growers prepare for the opening of the 2019 marketing season.
This is an increase of 46 percent from the 116 525 who had registered with the TIMB during the correspondence period last year.
Of the registered growers, with 40 785 farmers registering for the first time.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is on record that farmers produce tobacco that generate more than enough foreign currency to buy fuel that keep the country moving for 12 months.
Bongani Ndlovu