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Mashonaland West Bureau
Mashonaland West Province has registered an 11 percent decline in the hectarage put under tobacco crop in the 2017-18 summer cropping season.

This has been attributed to the late onset of rains and hailstorms experienced during the period under review.

According to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), 34 956ha were put under the golden leaf this season, as compared to 39 333ha in the previous season.

TIMB spokesperson Mr Isheunesu Moyo cited erratic and late rains as contributory factors.

“The decline in the total hectarage could be a result of late rains, as well as good agronomic practices as farmers rotate crops,” he said.

The statistics also show that the irrigated tobacco crop dropped to 3 753ha from 4 228ha, while the dry land tobacco crop also declined from 34 105ha to 31 203ha.

However, 42 220 farmers had registered to grow the crop this season as compared to 29 886ha farmers who registered during the same period a year ago.

Further, the number of new tobacco growers soared to 11 449 as compared 5 917 in the 2016-2017 season.

“More people are coming to tobacco production,” said Mr Moyo. “It also has to do with export incentives. Farmers are unbundling and not continuing to use one grower number.

“It makes more economic sense for every grower to have their grower’s number in the process.”

In January this year, most of tobacco farmers were left counting their losses after their crops, including matured irrigated tobacco, were destroyed by hailstorms.