Zimbabwe: Labour Shortage Hampers Tobacco Curing

Source from:  Elita Chikwati 03/06/2009

Labour shortage has hindered tobacco curing in some parts of the country with Mashonaland Central being the hardest hit province. Workers who are being hired to reap and process tobacco are demanding wages in foreign currency, which most farmers had not been prepared for. Tobacco growers will start selling their crop in foreign currency this season. A Kadoma farmer, Mr Herbert Shonhiwa said workers always sabotaged growers during the crucial period of reaping. "It has always been the case when it comes to tobacco reaping. The labourers hold us at ransom and demand 'out of this world' wages that the farmers cannot afford. We will end up incurring losses as the crop is wasted in the field," the farmer complained. He added that some growers were offering maize-meal or maize to workers after paying them wages and this was driving the workers from other farms creating a shortage of casual workers. Most farmers had planted late due to a delay in input distribution greatly affecting their yields. Agritex Provincial Tobacco Specialist for Mashonaland Central, Mr Tinomuonga Hove said few farmers were affording to pay the workers foreign currency and this was negatively impacting on tobacco curing. Zimbabwe Farmers Union vice president, Cde Edward Raradza said tobacco curing was at an advanced stage in some parts of the country although fuel shortages were affecting the transportation of the crop from the field to the barns. "Coal unavailability has also affected curing and some farmers are resorting to using firewood," Cde Raradza said. Mr Hove said a number of farmers in his province depended on firewood although this was presenting some environmental problems. "We tried to advise the farmers to form clusters so that they procure fuel from Hwange in groups. This will become more affordable and easier to the tobacco growers," said Mr Hove. Mr Hove said the average yield for his province was 700kg/ha as compared to the 1000kg/ha the province used to produce. Tobacco production for the 2008/9 season is expected to be down by more than 50 percent due to the shortage of inputs such as fuel, fertiliser and coal. The country had been on course to meet the target of 130 million kilogrammes set for the current season judging by seed sales with more than 400kg having been sold last year. Enditem