Consistency Vital to Revive Tobacco Sector

Source from:  The Herald (Harare) All-Africa.com 09/01/2004

WHILE preparations for the tobacco season are in full swing in all the tobacco growing areas, funding remains the major obstacle to efforts by farmers to rebound production to 2000 levels. Land reform has placed the bulk of the land in the hands of black farmers who have slowly made inroads in production of the golden leaf once considered a white man's crop. The potential of new farmers to produce tobacco has never been in doubt when measured against the background that Zimbabweans are inherently farmers. One does not need to be a big farmer to produce high volumes of tobacco as has been proved by Brazil, where small-scale farmers on plus or minus 2,5 hectares produce the crop. Brazil is the world's largest tobacco producer. But for our new farmers to make a meaningful contribution in the tobacco sector, they need support to be able to produce. This support is required at the seedbed preparation stage right through to planting and marketing. Funding requirements continue to give farmers a headache, given that it now costs between $20 million and $25 million to produce a hectare of tobacco. In most areas, farmers are through with land preparation and are ready to start planting the irrigated crop. The planting of irrigated tobacco starts on September 1 and runs through to September 15. Expectations are running high that a target of 160 million kilogrammes will be achieved in the 2004-2005 seasons, way above the paltry 60 million kg produced in the just-ended season. A multi-billion dollar support scheme involving the Government and the central bank and other stakeholders has been put in place to bolster "Vision 160" (tobacco target of 160 million kg). It is expected that the unveiling of the support scheme, complemented by efforts from the private sector, would help rebound production. Although the system for funding has already been put in place through the Agricultural Development of Zimbabwe (Agribank) and the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), farmers have, however, not received anything. Farmers should by now have finished preparations as the procurement of seed after September 1 for the irrigated crop will mean a late crop that will have to compete with the dryland crop. Ridges should be ready by now for the September 1 and 15 planting of the irrigated crop. While the Government and the private sector have done a lot to stimulate tobacco production, which has fallen to an all-time low of 60 million kg from a record production of 236 million kg in 2000, much more still needs to be done to ensure Zimbabwe remains one of the world's top producers of flavoured flue-cured tobacco. The best sure way of rebounding production is through the contract growing system, which Brazil is renowned for. Another way is to put all land that is lying idle to production and ensure that all people resettled on tobacco farms grow the crop and make full use of the curing facilities. However, the most positive thing that we have witnessed is that the seedbeds are all ready for transplanting and that the problem of shortage of seedlings experienced last season should be a thing of the past. Once preparations for tobacco production are done well on time, then a good, quality crop is guaranteed. Zimbabwe is renowned for its top quality flavour leaf and consistency of supply. It is this consistency of supply that has seen the country attracting major international buyers. We hope that production levels will start increasing soon and that buyers will continue looking at Zimbabwe as a top producer. Enditem