Insure your crop, tobacco growers urged

20 Dec, 2019 - 00:12 0 Views
Insure your crop, tobacco growers urged Failure by tobacco farmers to comply with the regulations will result in their crop being destroyed without compensation

The ManicaPost

Wimbainashe Zhakata Farming Correspondent
TOBACCO growers in Manicaland have planted an estimated 8 000 hectares of the golden leaf under both irrigated and dryland and are being encouraged to get insurance cover for their crop to minimise loss in the advent of hail or violent storms.

The farmers are being advised to continue planting while the rains are still effective.

The bulk of the crop was planted in Makoni, Mutare, Mutasa and Nyanga. Those in Buhera, Chimanimani and Chipinge had not yet planted as their areas had not received some beneficial rains.

The need to insure fragile crops follows on the heels of the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) warning of potentially violent storms capable of causing flash flooding, which may destroy crops.

A tobacco specialist with Agritex Manicaland, Mr Douglas Nzarayebani, told The Manica Post that farmers must insure their crop to reduce losses in the advert of hail and floods.

“Farmers are supposed to make sure that their crop is insured and carry out conservation works to avoid erosion. We do not know how the dry spell or flood is going to affect the crop. Again the angle of the ridges to the slope should be maintained at 45 degrees Celsius,” he said.

Mr Nzarayebani said they had a target of 24 000ha and only 8 000ha had been planted by last Friday in the whole province.

“We urge farmers to keep on planting till December 31 and be in the fields full-time since they are getting beneficial rains. Currently, all farmers are in the fields tendering their crop, which is at various stage of growth,” said Mr Nzarayebani.

According to statistics from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) by November 29, 2019 a total of 140 257 farmers had registered to grow tobacco for the 2019-20 season, marking a 15 percent decline from last season’s 165 130   farmers.

TIMB chief executive officer Dr Andrew Matibiri said early planted crops were now being topped while the transplanting of the main rain-fed crop was still in progress.

He bemoaned high input costs, power cuts and low dam levels among others challenges affecting tobacco production.

“Challenges affecting tobacco production include high inputs costs, especially for the self-funded growers. Power cuts, low dam water levels and erratic fuel supplies have also negatively impacted on the early planted irrigated crop. Lack of widespread effective planting rains delayed tobacco planting,” said Dr Matibiri.

Share This:

Sponsored Links

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey

This will close in 20 seconds