Source: Late rains affect tobacco quality, says TIMB | The Financial Gazette March 15, 2018
Tobacco, one of Zimbabwe’s major foreign currency earners, has always eased foreign currency shortages in the country.
By Nyasha Chingono
THE prolonged dry spell experienced during the start of the farming season affected the tobacco quality and area planted, factors that are likely to affect returns from the golden leaf, the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board (TIMB) has said.
Both A1 and A2 farmers were grossly affected by the dry spell, which ended mid February when tobacco farming normally ends.
“Late onset of rains affected the establishment of the dry land crop and this was also followed by a prolonged dry spell that resulted in the reduction of anticipated area planted. A1 and communal farms were mostly affected by the dry spell due to lack of irrigation facilities although some of the A2 farms were equally negatively affected by the prolonged dry spell,” TIMB said in a preparatory meeting for the 2018 marketing season held last week.
The dry spell since October to late January threatened the country’s agricultural sector, once the mainstay of the economy, but hope has once again returned following the current wet spell.
Tobacco, one of Zimbabwe’s major foreign currency earners, has always eased foreign currency shortages in the country.
“Rains were late in all provinces and most areas received the first effective rains around the end of November to early December 2017. The delay in the onset of rains affected the establishment and growth of the dry land and late (planted) crops,” said TIMB.
TIMB said the rainfall was also not uniformly distributed across all provinces and that most areas last received effective rains in December 2017.
However, most areas received meaningful rains from January 30 to February 2, 2018, with the exception of some parts of Mashonaland West.
TIMB said reaping and curing of the irrigated crop was at an advanced stage, with more than 80 percent of the crop having been harvested.
“Most of the cured leaf is lemon to orange in colour and of fair to good quality,” it said.
Farmers are already preparing for the tobacco selling season, which is set for March 21, with The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) having since set withdrawal limits of $300 for the farmers.
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