Zimpapers Logo

Columbus Mabika Herald Reporter
Preparations for the 2015/6 tobacco planting season have started with more than 645 000 grammes of tobacco seed that can cover approximately 18 000 having been sold, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board says. Tobacco seed sales are expected to breeze past the 2014 figure of 827 010 grammes as more farmers forge ahead with their planting activities.

“Preparations for the upcoming season have started on a high note this year,” said TIMB chief executive Dr Andrew Matibiri.

“Tobacco is still being sold at the auction floors and at the same time we have already sold about 645 000 grammes of tobacco seed.”

He pleaded with Government to allocate more resources to the agricultural sector as well as explore ways to subsidise farm inputs.

“We hope Government will help the farmers with the necessary resources needed as well as follow the model of subsidising inputs used in other countries in the region,” Dr Matibiri said. “Our inputs are too expensive. We will continue to lobby Government to subsidise the inputs.”

He also said there was need for Government to invest in irrigation infrastructure to boost agricultural production as a drought mitigation strategy.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union president Mr Wonder Chabikwa also confirmed that seeding had started throughout the country as early as June 1 and expects the process to continue until mid next month.

‘‘Preparations for the upcoming tobacco season are going on, most farmers started sowing seeds on the beds as early as June 1,” he said.