Zimbabwe: Growers Snub Float Tray

Source from:  The Herald 07/11/2011

SMALLHOLDER tobacco farmers are still reluctant to use the float tray seedbed technology for tobacco seedlings arguing the method is labour intensive. They also feel the method is generally too technical. In surveys conducted at the country's three auction floors recently, it was discovered that most farmers were still clinging onto the traditional seedbed whose simple establishment requirements they argue, were within their capacity. "The traditional seedbed just requires one to burn crop residue on the site of the seedbed as a way of sterilising the soil, apply a fumigant, apply a compound fertiliser before planting and covering the bed with grass. "The float tray on the other hand requires the farmer to secure the float trays first, establish a permanent source of water and then construct the pit that is usually 20 square metres to hold the trays and the water," explained one farmer from Igava area of Marondera. He said it was difficult for the farmer to get the quarry to mix with the seed for an even distribution, while the idea of travelling all the way to Harare to secure the trays was frustrating and costly. Another farmer, Vincent Lot of Muhacha Farm in Trelawney, Mashonaland West province, said the float tray method would pin the farmer to the farm always whereas the old method only needed regular watering and monitoring and gave the farmer room to do other chores. Most of the farmers interviewed have indicated that they were doing well with the traditional seedbed and may take time before switching to the new system. Tobacco Research Board divisional co-ordinator field services, Mr Ezekia Svotwa, however, revealed that adoption of the float trays based on the 2006-9 uptake and attendance to TRB training sessions by farmers was between 30 and 40 percent. "The TRB has distributed 1,6 million trays enough to produce seedlings for close to 70 000 hectares. What matters may be the distribution pattern as large-scale farmers may have snapped most of the trays. "In fact, TRB is on a drive to convince smallholder farmers to switch to the technology and will be holding training sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays every week. They no longer have free trays that they used to give farmers who would have attended training," he explained. He added that TRB had established 45 field schools, three in each of the country's tobacco producing districts and would also conduct farm visits to assist farmers. It also has a plant for the manufacture of trays and is selling them at US$2,50 per unit. Zimbabwe is expected to have done away with the traditional seedbed that involves the use of methyl bromide, a chemical deemed dangerous to the ozone by 2011. The Montreal Protocol to, which Zimbabwe is a signatory outlaws the use of methyl bromide because of its ozone depletion characteristics and advocates the use of float trays that use very little chemicals. Additionally, the float tray technology allows the farmer to use land optimally as 20 square metres of the seedbed produces seedlings enough to cover a hectare after transplanting, something that is not possible with the conventional seedbed. Government is currently working with the Tobacco Research Board and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation to implement the switch to the float tray technology. It has also undertaken to phase out methyl bromide through joint efforts with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management. Zimbabwe has to fulfill its Montreal Protocol obligations ahead of that agreement's 2015 deadline. Enditem