Zimpapers Logo

Marondera farmer Mrs Faith Chibare said farmers were now being treated in a decent way.
“In the past we were treated like destitutes at the floors yet we make a meaningful contribution to the economy of this country. We should be treated with respect.
“Hopefully there will never be a time again when we have to stay at the floors for days waiting to get our money,” she said.
Another farmer at Millennium Floors said he was happy with the speedy processing of cheques and said it was now better that they were getting value for their money.
Centenary farmer Mr Wilfanos Mashingaidze said he was impressed by the state of preparedness of the auction floors.
“I am glad all stakeholders in the industry played their part and everything is in order,” he said.
“It is just impressive. Everything is in order even the car parking arrangement, ablution facilities and organisation at the floors is pleasing,” he said.
Mr Mashingaidze said grower presentation had also improved.
“We are selling the lower leaf but it is well graded and curing was done perfectly,” he said.
Mr Mashingaidze, however, appealed to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board not to allow buyers to adopt uniform prices as this killed competition and the auction system.
He encouraged local banks to have confidence in the tobacco growers and start assisting them with loans.
“Tobacco is expensive for a farmer to produce on his own and always needs financial back up.
“For farmers to standardise operations, they require adequate funding and the crop that has been delivered today is evidence that local farmers are capable of producing high quality leaf,” he said.
Officially opening the selling season, at Boka Tobacco Floors, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made said this year Government expected a consistent pricing and buying pattern to guarantee viability to growers.
Minister Made said farmers and other stakeholders in the tobacco industry expected an improvement in the way business was done at the floors to avoid a repetition of the previous seasons’ chaos.
“From experience of the past three seasons, farmers have realised that high prices prevail during the early part of the season, which has led them to disregard the sales bookings system and congest floors trying to cash in on the prevailing good prices,” he said.

He said in the rush to sell quickly some farmers ended up bringing tobacco that had not been booked while others even came before they had re-registered.
“During the last marketing season a serious decline in the average price occurred at about eight weeks into the season, leading to the withdrawal of tobacco by some farmers,” Minister Made explained.
He challenged the industry, farmers organisations included, to increase their efforts in educating farmers on how to prepare their tobacco for marketing.
TIMB board chairperson Mrs Monica Chinamasa, said she was happy with the way things had gone at the opening of the season.
“The prices are good and hopefully they will continue to firm as the quality of the leaf improves,” she said.
Premier chief executive, Mr Philemon Mangena said he was satisfied with the first sale and hoped prices will improve as the season progressed.
“So far so good. We hope this selling season will be a success to both merchants and farmers,” he said.
It is estimated that a total of 150 million kg of the golden leaf will be auctioned this year.