Online
Obert Chifamba
Agri-Insight
RECENTLY, the national broadcaster, ZBC news ran a story to the effect that the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) had confiscated huge quantities of tobacco allegedly from a syndicate of farmers producing a variety which has not been certified for use in Zimbabwe.
According to the report, the illegal tobacco variety was grown by 12 farmers in Marondera District.
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development corroborated the report, confirming that it had received it in the aftermath of investigations and laboratory tests conducted by the Tobacco Research Board and the subsequent confiscation of the consignment.
The ministry’s permanent secretary, Professor Obert Jiri duly described the farmers involved in this little vignette of deceit as economic saboteurs, adding that the confiscated tobacco would be destroyed.
“Zimbabwean tobacco has its own signature on the international market in terms of its good taste, so we will destroy all the tobacco as we cannot allow these economic saboteurs to spoil our brand, which we have preserved for so long,” Prof Jiri observed then.
The results compiled by the Tobacco Research Board laboratory have since shown that the illegal variety was purchased from Zambia through a known source whose name has not been revealed to avoid compromising the ongoing investigations. While the incident demonstrates the need for the national tobacco regulatory board, TIMB, to be always wary of farmers engaging in such chicanery to make a quick buck, it also points towards some degree of laxity at some of our ports of entry.
Whether the illegal tobacco came in as seed or seedlings remains a mystery for the time being. It is, however, crucial to appreciate the fact that the country has strict phytosanitary regulations on imports of agricultural products, which have for years ensured that the agriculture sector’s sanctity is not compromised by illegal imports. This may easily be an indication that someone or some people at the border with Zambia could have deliberately allowed the tobacco to come through.
Nonetheless, it is important for TIMB and Tobacco Research to now ramp up their levels of vigilance and ensure no such incidents happen again. If it means carrying out awareness campaigns on the dangers of allowing uncertified tobacco varieties to be produced and sold locally, so be it. The country has invested a lot of resources and energies in tobacco farming to allow such unfortunate incidents to compromise the reputation it now commands internationally.
Tobacco produced in Zimbabwe is among the most sought-after products on the global market, thanks to its high quality and the sustainable methods of production that our farmers use. In recent times, the Government has gone all out to ensure that tobacco farming does not adversely affect the environment and that farmers do not use child labour — something which may reflect badly on the country and its tobacco product.
It does not require rocket science for anyone to appreciate that growing uncertified tobacco varieties poses several dangers for the growers and the communities in which they live.
On the one hand, growers of such illicit varieties may face the wrath of the law or some legal action for violating the country’s agricultural regulations, leading to financial instability and huge revenue losses.
There are also health risks that come with the use of unsanctioned varieties that would not have undergone safety assessments, which increases the risk of harmful chemicals and diseases being present in the tobacco. It is also a fact worth noting that selling unregulated tobacco can have disruptive effects on the local market and may easily cause price fluctuations leading to potential loss of income for farmers. The sad thing is that such price disruptions may even end up affecting the innocent farmers who follow national regulations to the last letter.
There is also a huge chance that the farmers dealing in the illegal tobacco trade can suffer reputational damage that may even hound them out of growing the crop. Such incidents have been known to deal irreparable damage to potential future business opportunities and relationships with buyers.
And coming at a time like this when the country is gripped with turning all agricultural activities into commercial entities, a record soiled with such chicanery can easily see a farmer failing to secure sponsors given that the bulk of the country’s tobacco is currently being produced under contract arrangements. Contractors are people in business who also have their interests to protect and farmers with such histories naturally pose a serious threat to their businesses.
It is also possible that unsanctioned varieties may be known to cause negative environmental impacts leading to them being omitted from the recommended brands. They might also not be suited to local conditions and potentially leading to soil degradation and negative ecological consequences. Besides this, there are consumer safety concerns to appreciate. Unregulated tobacco products can pose significant health risks to consumers who may, incidentally, be unaware of the potential dangers they might cause.
There are also significant economic risks that come with dependency on unsanctioned varieties, which can lead to financial losses in the event that authorities decide to crack down on illegal sales jeopardising livelihoods in the process.
However, one obvious thing is that farmers are pushed to take such shortcuts by many factors some of which they can easily push aside and allow reason to prevail. By sticking to sanctioned varieties, farmers can ensure compliance, safety and stability in their operations. Doing the right thing is one sure tonic of success because it gives the farmer the peace of mind that allows them to think productively.
I am sure the farmers whose tobacco was confiscated, whether they knew that they were committing a crime or not, will now be forced by circumstances to appreciate the Afrikaans phrase — “local is lekker” that translates to “local is tasty” in English. It simply emphasises the benefits of consuming locally produced goods, highlighting their freshness, quality and support for local economies. The phrase supports the idea that local products are often more delicious and sustainable than foreign.
And as farmers go about establishing tobacco seedbeds for next season’s crop, it is crucial for regulatory authorities to educate the former on the need to secure their seed from Kutsaga Research — the country’s official supplier of the commodity. If it means that TIMB has to deploy inspectors on the ground to monitor the process, it may be worth the salt because the country needs to maintain and protect the reputation of producing high quality tobacco, which it has built over the years.
Online Reporter