HUNDREDS of tobacco farmers, particularly small growers are set to benefit from a new project aimed at imparting new skills and knowledge on growing and curing the golden leaf.
BY MOSES CHIBAYA
The tobacco demonstration site was recently established by Boka Tobacco Floors (BTF) to train and offer advice to some of the over 90 000 mostly small-scale farmers who are now into growing the crop, once a preserve of white commercial farmers.
An agronomist managing the project, Rudo Mahlahla told Standardbusiness that most small scale tobacco farmers were failing to meet the required standards and repeated the same mistakes every season.
“Most farmers that are growing tobacco are new comers and they lack knowledge and experience on how best they can maximise their yields,” she said.
The demonstration plot measures 1,7 hectares and has been split into two sections. One is for irrigated tobacco and the other for dry land growing.
“Standards and expectations are getting higher. Our intention is to get our industry to the next level by making sure that farmers produce quality crops,” said Mahlahla.
The company has also built a rocket barn used for curing tobacco. Rocket barns are fuel efficient and reduce consumption by up to 30% compared to conventional barns.
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Director of operations and special projects at Boka Tobacco Floors, Moses Bias, said the auction floor managed to handle about 22 000 small scale farmers who sold close to 410 000 bales or 25 million kgs.
Bias said the company was now almost ready for the opening of the new tobacco marketing season.
Tobacco production has remarkably boosted the rural economy, providing jobs to thousands of workers.
Bias said while in 2013 Zimbabwe sold 166 million kgs of tobacco, this year the target was to produce close to 200 million kgs.
Communal farmers now constitute over 40% of registered farmers.
Tobacco is one of Zimbabwe’s largest export earners. It accounts for a third of all foreign earnings, along with gold and other minerals.
