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Wimbainashe Zhakata Mutare Correspondent
TOBACCO farmers are expected to have destroyed tobacco stalks by May 15 and currently grading harvested crop for the market or preparing seedbeds for next season, an official with Agritex has said.

In an interview with The Herald recently, a tobacco specialist with Agritex, Mr Douglas Nzarayebani, said farmers were expected to destroy their tobacco stalks by May 15 and establish seedbeds by July 1, then do land preparations for next season.

“By June 1, tobacco farmers — especially those with irrigation facilities — should start sowing tobacco seed for September harvesting.

“Last season we had a good crop and although it was attacked by the mid-season drought of December, there was a boost from the rains which came later,” he said.

“As Agritex we expect every farmer to be through with tobacco harvesting and all farmers should have destroyed their tobacco stalks by May 15. Right now we are expecting farmers to be burning the stalks according to the tobacco legislation.”

He said starting this week, Agritex officials would be touring Manicaland’s tobacco growing areas checking if farmers had destroyed the stalks.

“We will tour farms in Manicaland in conjunction with the quarantine department to enforce the law that by May 15 tobacco stalks should have been destroyed.

“We will start with Makoni then Mutasa and Mutare districts before visiting other areas in Manicaland,” said Mr Nzarayebani.