By Bisola Adeyemo
Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), in Zimbabwe has announced March 30 as auction sales while contract sales will come on board on March 31.
During the post-Cabinet briefing meeting the Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the dates had been necessitated by the late start of the tobacco planting season.
“A total of 110 102 hectares of tobacco have been planted, 18 510 hectares under irrigation and 91 592 under dryland. Given the late start to the tobacco planting season, the tobacco marketing season will start on 30 March, 2022,” she said.
“Some 122 604 tobacco growers have registered for the 2021/2022 season, compared to 145 625 growers who registered during the same period last season.” She added
TIMB has attributed the decline in the number of registered growers to the tight screening process. To ensure only genuine farmers register, the board has tightened the vetting and verification processes for farmer registration and grower number renewal.
Meanwhile, most tobacco growers who had an early irrigated crop have intensified reaping and are concentrating on curing and grading.
The bulk of the dryland crop is still in the fields, with some farmers expecting to start reaping in the next two weeks.
“The dryland tobacco was planted a bit late, so most of the farmers are on their first reaping. Most of the small-scale tobacco farmers grow dry land tobacco which is still in the field,” said, the Tobacco Association of Zimbabwe (TAZ) president, Mr George Seremwe.
Speaking on effect incessant rains on crops, Mr Douglas Tarusarira of Pacombe Farm in Banket said the irrigated crop was affected by the incessant rains, resulting in reaping delays.
“We are confident that we will finish reaping the irrigated crop and attend to the dryland one which we expect to be ready in the next few weeks,” he said.
Mr Tarusarira said demand for labour had increased and most workers were demanding payments in foreign currency.
“We rely on our permanent workers and have to hire part-time staff. To retain the labour, a farmer has to offer attractive packages,” he said.