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Business Reporter
THE 2013-14 tobacco planting season has started with farmers already transplanting the irrigated crop, the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union president Mr Wonder Chabikwa said yesterday.Speaking by telephone from Harare, he said preparations for planting late dry land tobacco were also underway and transplanting was scheduled to start in November.
“Our members have already started transplanting the irrigated crop. The transplanting started on Monday this week. Preparations for both the irrigated and late dry land crop are in full swing,” said Mr Chabikwa.
He said ZCFU expected an increased hectarage under tobacco farming this season by their members following the favourable price the crop fetched during the just-ended marketing season.
Mr Chabikwa would not be drawn into ascertaining the hectarage of land they were targeting to put under tobacco this season.
“Because I am not in office right now, I cannot ascertain the hectarage that we are targeting to put under tobacco this season. However, we are expecting it to be one and half times bigger than last year’s,” he said.
He said due to the favourable selling price, some of their members in areas that were not into tobacco growing had shown interest in the crop.
In the last cropping season, Mr Chabikwa said ZCFU had four tobacco farmers from Matabeleland region.
“We also have members who have an inclination into tobacco farming in areas such as Gokwe, which was known for cotton farming.
“If the farmers do not have knowledge about tobacco growing, we are encouraging them to seek knowledge from ZCFU structures in their respective areas,” he said, adding that the farmers were turning to tobacco farming because cotton producer price was not viable.
Last year, 145 million kilogrammes of tobacco went under the hammer while this year’s marketing season saw farmers delivering 165 million kg.
Online Reporter