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Registration for tobacco growers for 2016/2017 agricultural season is in progress and Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board encourages farmers to register before October 31, 2016 to avoid penalties for late registration. Application for registration opened on January 1, and will close on October 31. Thereafter farmers will be required to pay late registration fees as provided for in the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Rules 2000 as amended.Registration before October 31 is for $10 and between November 1 and December 31 farmers incur an additional fine of $10, between January 1 and the time floors open the fine increases to $40 and to $90 when the floors open.

Some farmers, in their wisdom or lack of it thereof have avoided paying the registration fee of $10 and ended up losing proceeds from the sale to people they would have entrusted with selling tobacco on their behalf whilst others offered relatives their growers numbers only to be fined and have their growers number blocked after they had been given nested tobacco to sale.

Every grower (as defined in the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Act) of flue-cured Virginia tobacco is required to register in respect of every tobacco crop to be grown.

For one to register as a grower, he or she needs a recommendation letter from their local Agricultural Extension officer to confirm that they are a bona fide tobacco grower.

In addition to a letter from AGRITEX, one is required to avail proof of land availability such as a permit or a land offer letter and if these are not available, one needs a recommendation letter from the grower’s local councillor or chief if one is resident in a communal area.

Furthermore, the prospective grower needs to present to a TIMB official his or her national identification (original / certified copy) as well as the registration fee of $10.

The registration fee is payable on submission of the form (in terms of section 26 of the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Act 18:02).

Growers with an existing grower number can renew their grower’s number using the Ecocash platform as long as they pay the appropriate amount which depends on the date on which they will be making the transaction.

Once one is a grower TIMB also encourages them to use registered transporters with reliable vehicles with some sort of cover or a tent to protect tobacco from the rain and other weather conditions.

When using a registered transporter, farmers do not have to risk their lives sitting on top of tobacco bales on their way to the auction floors. For one to register as a transporter, they need to avail a photocopy of vehicle registration book, a photocopy of their identity card, passport or driver’s licence as well as pay $150 if they are registering for the first time and $100 if they are renewing, that is if they are registering as an individual.

If one is registering as a company, they need to present a photocopy of vehicle registration book, CR14, certificate of incorporation as well as a Tax Clearance certificate in addition to their registration fee of $150 if it is for the first time or $100 if it is a subsequent registration.

In cases where the owner of the vehicle has not changed ownership on the vehicle registration book, he or she needs to present a photocopy of the Agreement of Sale to TIMB.

In the case of the vehicle owner desiring that the driver to be is registered with TIMB for whatever reason, he or she should write an affidavit authorising the driver to use his vehicle.

On successful registration, TIMB will provide the transporter with a creditor number to be used to make deductions at the auction floors where the bales would have been delivered provided the farmer will not have made cash payments to the transporter.

At the auction floors the transporter will be required to fill in a stop order form providing the farmer’s details (name, grower number, number of bales delivered and the agreed amount) and the farmer would need to endorse his / her signature on the stop order form.

The transporter will fill in the permit number given by TIMB, submit the stop order form at the place where the bale would have been delivered at least a day before the sale.

The grower should cancel any stop orders launched against him or her if cash settlement has been agreed upon.

A transporter should avail his or her transfer details to the auction floor for processing of payment and should not launch two invoices against one grower at different auction floors or at the same auction floor.

The advantage with registering as a transporter is one does not therefore need to wait for a farmer to get paid before they can go out and look for more business.

Farmers are also safer with registered transporter as they cannot disappear into thin air with growers bales of tobacco.

For any additional information please contact TIMB on telephone numbers 0772145166/9 or 0279-22082/21982 or 025-3439 or 067-24268/29246 or 0277-2700 or 064-7280 or 0271-6772 or

E-mail: [email protected] or visit our website on www.timb.co.zw