Mozambique: Tobacco Harvest in Full Swing

Source from:  Manica Post  02/14/2014

TOBACCO harvesting is in full swing despite the incessant rains that have been experienced around the country and farmers are hoping to start deliveries to auction floors next week.

A tour by The Manica Post on farms around Makoni District this week revealed that most farmers were busy harvesting their crop while some were curing the golden leaf.

Most farmers who are under the contract system are finding the going fairly easy as they are receiving regular stipends from contractors to pay for the high labour cost that is associated with tobacco harvesting, curing and grading. Leading Headlands farmer Mr Simbarashe Msindo said although heavy rains temporarily halted activities on the farm, everything was now on track as they were wrapping up work on irrigated tobacco.

"We are only left with three hectares of irrigated tobacco from 25 hectares that has not been harvested. Probably next week we will start harvesting the dry land tobacco. We have already 400 bales of irrigated tobacco ready for auctioning.

"The major obstacle was the rains during the past week when it was not possible to work. Now the major challenge we are facing is shortage and expensive labour. Tobacco harvesting and grading is labour intensive and it requires very deep pockets.

"We are under contract farming and we have ready cash to pay farm labourers, but the main issue is that most of them are also communal and small-scale farmers, so they first tend to their land and later do work for someone and at this time they call the shots as they know you desperately need their service," he said. Mr Musindo, who has a total of 45 hectares all under contract with Northern Tobacco, is using both firewood and electricity to cure tobacco.

Another youthfull Headlands farmer, Mr Raymond Sakutukwa (24) of Sakutukwa Farm, who has a thriving crop on 12 hectares, said it's all systems go. He said by the time auction floors open he would be able to send at least 120 bales. "We have 100 bales ready for auctioning and by the time floors open we will have about 120 bales. I am not on contract farming and I used proceeds from last year's harvest to fund my operations.

"Labour is the main problem now because it is very scarce and expensive at the same time. We are going as far as 30km in search of farm labourers," said Mr Sakutukwa. Enditem