(HERALD) 90 000 hectares earmarked for tobacco

90 000 hectares earmarked for tobacco
By Elita Chikwati

Tobacco production is slowly picking up with farmers targeting over 150 million kilogrammes from 90 000 hectares during the 2010-2011 farming season, Agritex has said. The country’s tobacco production slumped to 36 million kgs in 2008 from 235 million kgs in 2000.

Next year’s projections show that Zimbabwe is slowly moving towards regaining its position as a major tobacco producer in the world.

Speaking at the Zimbabwe Farmers Union tobacco conference in Harare on Tuesday, Agritex tobacco specialist Mrs Sheila Bhaureni said the forthcoming tobacco season will see a major increase in tobacco production.

The department draws weekly farming updates during farm visits and surveys countrywide.

"According to latest weekly crop updates, the seedbed area sown to date is enough to cover 11 060 hectares as farmers prepare for the next season," she said.

She said over 50 000 farmers registered to grow tobacco on 67 054 hectares last year. Delegates attending the indaba however, expressed a number of concerns and challenges encountered in the previous season. The farmers noted the absence of financial aid for smallholder farmers who do not have collateral security.

"At the moment, the cost of production on one hectare of tobacco is US$1 500 and most smallholder farmers will have difficulties financing their crop without assistance," Mrs Bhaureni said.

Farmers called for financial schemes for smallholder farmers.

ZFU tobacco chairman Mr Douglas Mhembere however, said growers who delayed selling their crops from last season would not be able to pay back the loans.

"With the current poor prices being offered at the auction floors, few farmers will be able to finance next seasons’ operations," he said.

The poor pricing was being caused by middlemen, known as Class B buyers, who were buying the crop at low prices for resell.

Farmers complained of the contract system, which they said was not fair as companies were breaching agreements.

The growers also claimed that some contractors were not releasing adequate inputs on time yet they expected the whole crop from farmers.

They also encouraged TIMB to monitor the pricing and ensure contractors observed their obligations.

The conference was held in preparation for the 2010-2011 farming season.