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Melody Mashaire : Business Reporter

Government is working on different strategies including the development of a Rural and Agriculture Financing Policy to tackle challenges faced by tobacco farmers in producing the golden leaf.In a speech read on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Dr Joseph Made at the graduation of tobacco growers and Agritex officers at Kutsaga Research Station yesterday, permanent secretary in the ministry Mr Ringson Chitsiko said tobacco farmers are still facing a lot of challenges.

“Despite the success of the tobacco sector, the tobacco grower is faced with a myriad of challenges in his attempts to sustainably produce a quality crop that will find market. The question of grower viability is thus a critical issue on the Zimbabwean landscape. The issue of production costs, not only in tobacco remains a thorny one.

“The costs of inputs such as fertiliser, chemicals, water, electricity, and labour is very high.

“Different arms of Government are already looking at different strategies in order to tackle some of these difficulties. For example Government is considering the development of a Rural and Agriculture Financing Policy, the establishment of a revolving fund at affordable interest rates, with assistance of international development financial institutions and is talking to banks to increase their support of agriculture with affordable loans in order to reduce the burden of farming in Zimbabwe,” he said.

He added that factors such as poor infrastructure need to be addressed urgently. “Other factors such as poor infrastructure which increases transportation costs for farmers and the absence of affordable long-term funding for construction of dams and irrigation facilities also militate against grower success and need to be urgently addressed,” Mr Chitsiko said.

He added that tobacco farmers are projected to sell around 185 million kg by the end of the season. It is likely that when tobacco sales close this season we will have witnessed around 185 million kg being sold through both the auction and contrast system.

“This remarkable growth has not come about by chance but is a result of planned and purposeful efforts by Government supported by various players in TIMB and Tobacco Research Board. Through the TIPS programme alone, TRB has been able to interact with close to 45 000 mostly small scale growers. This has enabled our people to become real and vital participants in the economy of the country,” he said.

Chairperson of TRB, Dr Millicent Mombeshora said there is a knowledge gap amongst tobacco growers as they lack training.

“What is evident is that there is a knowledge gap amongst our growers. Many of them have taken up tobacco production without undergoing any training in best practices so as to produce top quality tobacco and obtain the highest possible yield,” she said.