Online Reporter
Edgar Vhera
Agriculture Specialist Writer
THE ongoing 2025 tobacco marketing season has brought sadness and financial losses to farmers whose barns were destroyed by fire recently with some wishing they had insured their crop against such hazards.
Two A1 farmers have lost an estimated 12 bales of tobacco averaging 100 kilogrammes each.
One of the affected farmers, Mr Wonder Munhenga Of Hungwe Farm in Marondera farmer who self-financed his tobacco crop lost three bales in an inferno.
“I had put 300 tiers of my harvested tobacco in the barn hoping to get three bales of crop after completion of the seven-day curing process.
“At night we do barn checks every two hours and at 0300 hours, my son went to do the inspection and maintenance, an hour later the barn was in flames,” he explained.
Mr Munhenga suspects a pipe burst from increased temperatures coupled with small height caused the fire.
“I lost the three bales but have since repaired and corrected the height of the barn. Next year I plan to increase my hectarage and insure the crop,” he said.
Kutsaga Research revealed that tobacco curing which happens in the barn was an artificial process that creates conducive conditions for the leaf to physiologically ripen.
According to the research institute, Stage 1 of colouring of the leaf takes between a day and two days.
Colouring
The colour of the tobacco leaves is fixed by the chemical and enzymatic changes produced by the heat applied to the tobacco leaves.
This process is conducted at operational temperatures of 30 to 40 degrees Celsius at a relative humidity of about 85 percent;
Stage 2 Lamina drying – duration two to three days
Moisture is driven from the tobacco leaves at operational temperatures of 40 to 50 degrees Celsius and
Stage 3 (Mid rib drying – duration four to five days)
The mid-rib or stem of the leaf is dried. During this stage the operational temperatures are 65 – 70 degrees Celsius, with diminishing humidity.
