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Edgar Vhera

Agriculture Specialist Writer

THE Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has urged tobacco farmers to ensure they are registered by close of business today to avoid being penalised.

Grower registration figures have since risen by 14 percent from 102 096 in 2023 to 116 427 this year.

TIMB public affairs officer, Mrs Chelesani Tsarwe said it was illegal for a farmer to grow tobacco without being registered.

“Late registrations coming between November 1 and December 31 attract a penalty of $10 while doing so between January 1 and the start of the marketing season invites a fine of US$40. Registrations happening after the commencement of the marketing season attract a US$90 fine in addition to a registration fee of US$10,” she said.

Statistics released by TIMB show that as of October 25 this year, communal and A1 farmers were the largest group accounting for 89 percent of all the registered growers.

A total of 64 310 communal farmers have registered followed by AI on 39 054, while A2 are on third at 6 928 with small-scale commercial having 6 135.

Sub-section 25 of the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Levy Act (Chapter 18:20) says: “Any person who is not registered and who, by himself/herself or through his agents, grows tobacco shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level five or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or both such fine and such imprisonment.”

At least 17 058 hectares of tobacco have since been planted this season marking a four percent drop from last year’s 17 792.

The area under irrigation declined from 15 654ha to 14 534ha while that under dryland rose from 2 138ha to 2 524ha.

Tobacco Farmers Union Trust (TFUT) president, Mr Victor Mariranyika yesterday said the 14 percent increase in registration was a positive indicator of willingness and preparedness of farmers to produce the golden leaf this season.

“Conversely, the four percent decrease in hectarage is due to challenges such as failure to acquire necessary inputs because of financial incapacitation. We are at the peak of the El Nino-induced drought and farmers are using their meagre earnings to buy food,” he said.

Mr Mariranyika said the persisting dry and hot weather had negatively impacted dryland planting by smallholder farmers who are still waiting for rains.

He said the high cost of inputs, coupled with low earnings had left farmers without option but to consider contract farming.

Currently, there is no localised funding for tobacco production although there is hope that the new land tenure administration system, which seeks to enhance bankability of the asset will see financial institutions starting to fund the crop, he added.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president Dr Shadreck Makombe concurred saying high input prices had left farmers without a choice but to continue under contract farming.

“Farmers are slaves of contractors to whom they are indebted and only get into contract arrangements to save their properties from being attached. Incomes farmers are generating are not commensurate with the cost of production but have no other way out,” he said.

High interest rates of over 30 percent are making borrowing expensive and impoverishing farmers in the end, he added.