Ag Firms Asked to Assist Farmers

Source from:  tobaccoreporter.com Zimbabwe, Wednesday, May 23, 2007 05/25/2007

Zimbabwe Growers' Trust Chairman Wilfanos Mashingaidze has asked agricultural companies to help tobacco growers without bank accounts access inputs and cash, reports The Herald. He says the majority of smallholder growers in Zimbabwe do not have bank accounts and are having difficulties cashing their checks. Mashingaidze urged input suppliers to arrange with their banks for growers to buy inputs with their checks and then be paid the balance by the banks. He said growers were aiming to double tobacco production in the coming season, but indicated that this could only be achieved if farmers accessed inputs early. n estimated 80 million kg is expected to be sold at auction this year, up from 55 million kg produced last year. Enditem