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(ALLAFRICA, HERALD) Golden Leaf - Empowering New Farmers

Golden Leaf - Empowering New Farmers
Kuda Bwititi
7 March 2010

Harare — TOBACCO auction floors opened last month and proved beyond any shadow of doubt why this crop deserves to be termed the golden leaf! Many farmers who thronged the tobacco sales floors, especially the indigenous ones, said the golden leaf had transformed their lives.

Actually, the country is expecting to harvest nearly 77 000 kilogrammes of tobacco this season with the average price going at around US$4 per kg. One can easily imagine how much the tobacco farmers stand to earn by the end of the selling season.

The figures actually make tobacco one of the major contributors to the country's Gross Domestic Product.

A visit to the thriving tobacco auction floors last week revealed that there are many farmers with different stories to tell about how the crop brought them various forms of riches.

One such farmer is Mr Sydney Chidamba, who farms on a 583-hectare plot that he was allocated under the land reform programme in Mvurwi in 2002.

Mr Chidamba is a shining example of a farmer whose life has been transformed through the growing of tobacco.

He says he had no significant wealth of his own before he ventured into tobacco farming.

Mr Chidamba virtually had to "start from scratch" as he had no capital to invest and most of the infrastructure and equipment at the farm had been destroyed.

But, through growing tobacco, Mr Chidamba has made great strides and he has accumulated significant riches for himself.

He has since managed to make further developments at the farm, which is now a hive of production and employs up to 300 people.

Mr Chidamba is a proud man as he is now able to show off some of the substantial fortune he has gathered in the past seven years through growing tobacco.

"When I started farming, I virtually had nothing," he said.

"But in the past seven years, I have managed to acquire residential and business properties in Harare as well as other towns.

"I also have a fleet of vehicles, which include some of the latest models around."

Mr Chidamba said he has also managed to acquire eight tractors for the farm, as well as three 30-tonne trucks, irrigation equipment and other farm machinery.

Mr Chidamba's story is even more amazing if one considers that it has been a gradual rise.

In his first year, Mr Chidamba produced 25 000 kg of tobacco and he has managed to constantly increase production annually and this year, he is expecting to harvest 180 000 kg of the golden leaf.

Mr Chidamba's gross income for the farming season is approximately US$700 000.

Aptly dubbed the golden leaf, tobacco has empowered people from all walks of life, from the communal farmers in the village to the large-scale commercial farmers.

Farmers have actually become some of the richest people around because of the tobacco.

Whilst tobacco has always been a cash crop, farmers are now able to enjoy the fruits of their labour as they can now realise foreign currency because of the advent of dollarisation.

Some farmers receive instant cash after delivering their tobacco to the auction floors.

The riches reaped from tobacco enable people to climb the social ladder as they improve their standing in society.

Mr Chidamba said that since he became a farmer, he has won the support of members of the community who have elected him councillor in his area.

His colleagues in Zanu-PF also realised his new status and elected him the party's secretary for indigenisation in Mashonaland Central Province.

Another farmer, Mr Charles Muzumbizi, who was selling his tobacco at Boka Tobacco Auction Floors, said he was expecting the proceeds from tobacco to enhance his status in society.

His ambition is to climb up the social ladder and become a headman in his area.

Mr Muzumbizi said he was expecting to deliver 14 bales of tobacco this season, all valued at approximately US$4 200.

"I hope to buy seven beasts to add to my herd," he said.

"I believe that if I have all these assets, people in my village will now give me a lot of respect and I hope to become the next village head."

Last week, Mr Muzumbizi supplied three bales of tobacco and used the proceeds to buy solar panels, a bicycle, as well as other items, which he believes will enhance his livelihood.

Another farmer, Mr Kenneth Chibanda, said he was happy that farmers are now assured of rich pickings when they harvest their tobacco.

This is unlike previous years when the earnings were eroded by hyperinflation.

"I remember in 2008, farmers were in agony because they were virtually left with nothing because of high inflation," said Mr Chibanda.

"But, we are now all happy with the prevailing situation."

Mr Chibanda said he was going to use proceeds from the farm to develop more farming areas.

"In farming, it is important to plough back the earnings so that I can increase production next year," he said.

Another farmer, who only identified himself as Mr Kazengerere from Karoi, said he was going to fulfil all his dreams after selling tobacco.

"I want to send my children to a boarding school and I also want to spoil my wife," he said.

"I want my family to fulfil all their dreams."

As well as empowering the farmers, tobacco has the effect of spurring other sectors of the economy.

Retailers all over the country are expecting a boom in business, while traders who operate at the auction floors have positioned themselves for rich pickings. The success story of the tobacco farmers stands out as an example to other farmers that they need to enhance production to empower themselves as well as the whole of Zimbabwe.

Mr Chidamba said over the years, he has also managed to improve the livelihoods of his employees as he has built new houses for them and also installed electricity at every household at the farm.

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The story of Mr Chidamba and other successful farmers is proof that tobacco can help to empower the whole of Zimbabwe.

The country is one of the leading producers of tobacco in the world and this status needs to be enhanced.

Mr Dominic Mubayiwa of the Zimbabwe Farmers' Union, said local farmers have the potential to surpass the achievements of the white farmers who dominated this secor before the land reform programme was launched.

"In 1998, Zimbabwe produced 260 million kg of tobacco, which was an all-time high," he said.

"I believe today's farmers will be able to surpass this figure in the coming years."

An increase in the production of tobacco will definitely result in the uplifting of the nationaleconomy.

More importantly, it would transform lives at family level.

Labels: NEW FARMERS, TOBACCO

posted by MrK @ 6:12 AM