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Zimbabwe: Illegal Dealers Rip Off Tobacco Farmers Source from: The Herald 04/24/2015 ![]() Illegal dealers have resurfaced at the tobacco auction floors, where some buy tobacco from farmers for resale while others demand bribes claiming they can fetch higher prices. Farmers told The Herald that they sometimes sold their crop to dealers outside the floors as they claimed to offer better prices than those offered at the floors. The dealers take advantage of the farmers' ignorance, especially first timers who do not know how the floors operate. Farmers at the auction floors said they paid workers outside the floors expecting to get better prices. Karoi farmer Mr Peter Serima said the dealers approached farmers before they sell their crop, promising to pay a higher price. "We heard that prices are down this season and if we get someone offering a reasonable price we are tempted to sell. Most farmers are aware of the system where we have to pay the floor workers to get a better price. Sometimes the workers approach us, but we also approach them," he said. Farmers accused the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board of not working hard enough to curb illegal activities at the auction floors. "Life is difficult for us. Sometimes our bales are rejected, compelling us to bribe officials at the auction floors," another farmer who refused to be named said. Boka Tobacco Auction Floors operations manager Mr Moses Bias said they had received such reports and had put in place stringent security measures to protect farmers. "It is the duty of workers to work in the floors and no farmers should pay them. Farmers should not pay any worker to sell their crop on the floors," he said. TIMB chief executive Dr Andrew Matibiri said there were no class B buyers at the floors and urged farmers not to give any floor workers money. "Farmers should not give anyone money to have their crop sold. The major challenge is that farmers are not forthcoming with information. The farmers do not open up and this makes investigations difficult," he said. TIMB said it would introduce an electronic system to improve tobacco marketing and curb illegal activities. Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made recently said the tobacco pricing issue should be treated carefully to achieve a win-win situation. Tobacco prices have been depressed since the opening of the selling season especially at auction floors where the highest price has remained around $4,99 per kilogramme. Enditem |