Tobacco farmers to improve leaf quality

Senior agronomist Lazarus Gatawa has urged Tobacco farmers, with special reference to small-scale farmers who now constitute more than 90% of active tobacco farmers in the country to upgrade their leaf quality in order to offset the increasing cost of production. Zimbabwe is one of the five major tobacco producing countries in the world and our farmers should take advantage and use the gold leaf to transform their economic wellbeing as the crop offers high economic returns per hectare.

In an interview Gatawa said small scale farmers should focus on quality tobacco to obtain higher prices.

"There is a general spike on tobacco production input prices globally and this calls for our farmers to enhance their productivity, technical efficiency and attention to the quality push factors that influence the ultimate average floor prices. This will also benefit the tobacco value chain in the country which is estimated to support more than 3 million people for their livelihoods, Gatawa said.

"The indicators of improved tobacco quality are distinguished by high yield per hectare and high leaf quality. This can only be achievable if farmers embrace and engage agricultural Extension experts located in their farming areas. Tobacco leaf quality is also a build-up of all the tobacco production cycle stages that the farmers need to follow in a standard way, stage by stage with no shortcuts as advised by agronomists."

The agronomist further urged farmers to repair their bans during off season.

"Tobacco barns need to be repaired during this off-season period to ensure that at least two barns with a holding capacity of between 400 and 500 strings are in place for a one-hectare crop. Farmers should aim to produce high quality seedbeds using certified tobacco seed sourced from reputable outlets. Seedbeds should be established by mid-August for the dry land crop such that in 12 weeks' time well hardened and robust seedlings will be ready for transplanting into well prepared fields. Compound and top dressing fertilizer application and placement in tobacco fields is one aspect that Zimbabwe tobacco farmers need to improve because wrongly placed fertilizer leads to a poor crop. Topping, reaping and curing are other stages of production where farmers should rely on advice from their local agronomists."

"In addition to the improvements that farmers are being urged to implement, they are also encouraged to improve their tobacco barns efficiency, making sure that the barn chimneys go above the barn roof and to plant fast growing tree species like Eucalyptus for curing energy to reduce environmental damage and ensure sustainability of tobacco production."