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Dr Matibiri

Business Reporter
THE Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) in conjunction with Agritex have embarked on a campaign programme aimed at encouraging more farmers from the Matabeleland region to grow tobacco.TIMB chief executive Andrew Matibiri said the move was taken to increase the number of the golden leaf producers in the region to boost national output and ensure the setting up of an auction flow in the southern part of the country.

“Matabeleland has the lowest number of registered tobacco farmers. So far it has 12 registered farmers. As TIMB we want to see the number increase hence we’ve begun an initiative of establishing demonstration plots in the region,” he said.

Matibiri said the demonstration plots were meant to equip farmers with skills of growing the crop successfully.

“The demonstration plots will show farmers the processes taken when undergoing tobacco planting. We’re basically educating the farmer on tobacco in a practical way instead of just talking about it,” he said.

Matibiri said Agritex was also conducting meetings to enhance the knowledge of farmers with regards to tobacco farming.

“Agritex is having meetings with farmers in a bid to increase their knowledge. Our objective is to ensure that farmers have full knowledge on tobacco growing. Failure to register should be due to other reasons not lack of knowledge,” he said.

He said farmers were still registering for the 2014/15 tobacco season despite the lapse of the final registration date at the end of October 31.

“Farmers are still registering, they’re being charged a penalty for late registration,” said Matibiri.

Matabeleland North Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) provincial chair Winston Babbage last week told Business Chronicle his organisation was conducting meetings and reaching out to farmers on tobacco farming.

Latest TIMB statistics indicate that more than 86,000 farmers had registered for the 2014/15 tobacco season.

Production of the crop in Zimbabwe increased at the turn of the millennium with farmers in communal areas catching up to growing the crop.

The golden leaf has become one of the country’s highest income earners with major export destinations being Belgium, China, Sudan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines and the United Kingdom.