Zimbabwe: 2 500 HA Seedlings Ready

Source from:  The Herald 08/22/2011

THE Tobacco Research board has planted seedlings enough to cover 2 500 hectares for the 2011/12 tobacco season. TRB divisional co-ordinator field services Mr Ezekia Svotwa said TRB's seedlings programme was meant to assist small-scale growers produce the golden leaf. He said the seedlings would be split into two, the first batch covering 800ha for the irrigated crop, while the remainder would be for dryland. "We have mobilised resources for the production of seedlings worth 2 500 ha but we still have the capacity to produce seedlings for 3 000 ha. "TRB can even produce more seedlings to supplement the first lot in the event that demand rises," said Mr Svotwa. Seedbeds for wholly irrigated tobacco are established on the first of June every year, while those for the semi-irrigated are established between June 15 and July 1. Seedbeds for wholly rain-fed tobacco are then established between August and September. "Planting of the irrigated tobacco starts on the first of September every year while rain-fed tobacco is planted starting in October to early December depending on the region in which the farmer is located. This is a statutory requirement," said Mr Svotwa. Last year, TRB produced seedlings enough to cover 1 300ha for both irrigated and dryland tobacco, 700ha shy of this year's current standings. Mr Svotwa also challenged farmers doing their own seedbeds to always interact with the research board's technical and extension teams and agronomists from Agritex. Enditem