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MONICA CHINAMASA

Business Reporter
THE Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board says it will be on the lookout for nesting when the 2014 marketing season for the “golden leaf” opens today. Nesting tobacco means placing good quality tobacco on the top of the hogshead and bad quality at the bottom or deep inside to conceal trash or inferior tobacco from the buyers.

Farmers normally do it to increase weight of the bales.

The practice attracts a penalty of US$20 per bale or imprisonment for one year or both.

During the previous selling season, over 46 000 kilogrammes of tobacco (522 bales) were forfeited to the TIMB after the bales were confiscated for tobacco nesting.

“Sellers should ensure that no attempt is made to hide inferior tobacco in the centre of bales or pieces of stem under the tied leaf,” said TIMB in a memorandum outlining procedures for the sale of flue cured tobacco under the dual system in this year.”

“Please note that all nested tobacco will be forfeited to the board and shall be re-handled and sold to the TIMB’s account.”

The TIMB also warned farmers that tobacco bales that would be found containing foreign objects will be closed up and not sold.

“Should 10 percent of the consignment be found containing foreign matter, the whole consignment will be rejected,” said TIMB.

However, analysts say the TIMB needs to look at ways of putting some teeth into regulations to stop the practice as the fine might not be enough to stop the practice.

The TIMB said it had also put in place measures to deal with side marketing saying “any purchase outside the agreed frameworks will also attract a fine.”

Last year, TIMB approved 14 tobacco contractors to finance the crop.

Contractors will only be obliged to purchase tobacco equivalent the level of indebtedness of the grower.

Thereafter, transactions will be by mutual consent of the parties involved.

TIMB said tobacco laid for sale without a valid TIMB registration or booking will attract a fine payable by the contractor.

Growers who have not signed with any contractor will sell the crop at auction floors — Tobacco Sales Floor, Boka Tobacco Floors or Premier Tobacco Floors.

Zimbabwe is expected to produce about 185 million kilogrammes this year, from 166 million kilogrammes last year.

Last week, TIMB chairperson Mrs Monica Chinamasa said she was satisfied with the state of preparedness of the floor especially the provision made for handling of tobacco by all the floors.