TIMB tightens measures as tobacco season opens

Samuel Kadungure Farming Reporter
THE 2015 flue-cured tobacco selling season opened on Wednesday with the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board (TIMB) being stricter than previous seasons by insisting that farmers make bookings prior to delivering their crop for auction. In the past, farmers would sell spontaneously, a situation that created congestion, confusion and chaos at the auction floors – which in most cases had a toll effect on small-scale farmers – who ended up spending several nights in snaking queues.
The chaotic arrangements left many farmers stranded, and in the end exposed them to twin evils of theft and prostitution.

TIMB chairperson, Mrs Monica Chinamasa, on Wednesday warned that no gate-crushers will make it at any auction floor this season.
“We are saying book today, deliver on agreed date and then sell tomorrow. TIMB is insisting on booking arrangements to protect the same farmers.

“This is a paradigm shift we have adopted to ease confusion and congestion at the auction floors.
“Things flow smoothly if there is perfect system in place. We will not tolerate farmers operating outside this prescribed mechanism,” said Mrs Chinamasa.

Mrs Chinamasa said three auction floors – Boka Tobacco Auction Floor, Tobacco Sales Floor Limited and Premier Tobacco Auction Floor – were licensed to conduct auctions this year.

She added that 20 merchants have also been licensed, while 15 contractors will buy the gold leaf from contracted farmers.
Tobacco in Zimbabwe is grown under two systems – the auction where individual farmers sell their golden leaf at the auction floors and the contract system where farmers are financed to produce on behalf a contractor who will eventually buy out the product.

Some contractors operating in Manicaland include Northern Tobacco, BAT, Mashonaland Tobacco Company and Tain-Ze Tobacco Company, among others.
MTC will be operating its tradition auction floor in Rusape.

MTC is expected to open its doors to the public within a fortnight as opening now does not make much economic sense since the majority of the contracted farmers are small-scale ones who are not yet ready to harvest and grade their tobacco.

Most small-scale farmers planted late and have been urged not to rush the curing and grading processes to sale.
Mrs Chinamasa said the target yield would be lower than the 2013 /14 tobacco season. She said this season may turn out to be probably the worst one because of the prevailing weather conditions that compromised yields and quality.

Zimbabwe in 2014-15 targeted to produce nearly 240 million kg of tobacco on the back of increased cropping, but the target has been revised down to 180 million kg following the late arrival of rains, late planting and harvesting by farmers.

Farmers last year sold about 216 million kg of the crop, passing the 200 million-kilogramme mark for the first time since 2001.
TIMB has instructed merchants to offer prices better than last year.

Zimbabwe Tobacco Association president, Mr David Mutasa, said the demand for tobacco must be high due to a decline in output.
Mr Mutasa, who is also the only black tobacco seed producer in Manicaland, said they would be monitoring the tobacco pricing matrix closely to ensure that farmers are rewarded for their hard work.

“There is not much tobacco in the country and obviously you would expect prices to firm. The decline in output should create high demand, which should result in better prices for a good leaf.

“We are looking forward to a good selling season,” said Mr Mutasa, urging his constituents to take TIMB advice seriously.
“That decision by TIMB to insist on bookings was arrived at with our input.

“Farmers must first book at their respective point of sale. We do not want our farmers to spend several nights in queues where they end up being ripped off by criminals and sex workers.

“We are also urging farmers to be cautious when spending money. Many have in the past committed suicide after being reckless.
“They should make the right decisions and stop flashing money as well as getting into pubs with huge sums of money,” said Mr Mutasa.