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Edgar Vhera Agriculture Specialist Writer
TOBACCO growers are dying to know whether their contractors will make it into the final list of licenced buyers for the 2023 tobacco marketing season with the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) still mum on the matter.
The marketing season opens on March 8 for the auction floors while their contract counterparts will follow a day later on the 9th.
Tobacco Farmers Union Trust president Mr Victor Mariranyika said most small-scale growers were currently seized with readying their crop for the market although they were grappling with the uncertainty surrounding the eligibility of their contractors to buy this year’s crop.
“Harvesting, curing, staking, grading and packing are the predominant activities on most farms that produced tobacco on dry land while the irrigated crop is ready for marketing.
“Most small-scale growers have cured one or two barns and when the floors open next week there will be little activity from this group, though curiosity is reigning high among them as to whether all their contractors will be licensed,” said Mr Mariranyika.
Mr Mariranyika said most contractors seem to have given growers inputs according to the stipulated minimum input packages, as enshrined in the compliance administration framework.
A few cases have been reported by some farmers who claim they were short-changed in input packages but those claims are yet to be verified and quantified, he said.
There is need to avail the list of buyers in their particular areas with contractors expected to factor in increased production costs in their buying price, added Mr Mariranyika.
“The Government must intervene and ensure that growers are paid high prices through the production cost pricing matrix and TIMB has to reduce by half their minimum floor charge from last year’s figure of US$7, 50 per bale,” continued Mr Mariranyika.
Zimbabwe Tobacco Growers Association (ZTGA) Chairman Mr George Seremwe revealed that contractors were currently busy distributing hessian paper as per their contractual obligations and to safeguard their investments.
“The issue on most people’s minds remains that of contractors who did not fully pay growers for their tobacco deliveries last season. The aggrieved farmers are keen to know whether these will be licenced by TIMB, as it enforces its regulatory role.
“Because of the good quality of the crop this year, farmers are expecting better prices for their leaf,” said Mr Seremwe.
Meanwhile the TIMB yesterday said the list of buyers was still to be published.
The 2022/23 First Round of Crop, Livestock and Fisheries Assessment report shows that there was a nineteen percent growth in tobacco hectarage from 110 770ha in the 2021/22 season to 131 656ha this year.
The report showed that the bulk of the irrigated tobacco was ready for marketing, while some of the dry land crop was being harvested, cured, and graded. Some farmers who were affected by the late rains had a late tobacco crop which, still requires top dressing fertiliser to boost output.
Some experts are confident this season’s good rains coupled with the increased hectarage will see tobacco production going beyond 130 million kilogrammes.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter