Tobacco marketing season starts today

Farmers raised concern over some contractors who were putting premium on inputs that they would have supplied them while others urged the TIMB to protect them from unscrupulous insurance companies and farmer associations that were submitting claims for deductions from their payments without their consent.

Zimbabwe Tobacco Association representative Mr Rodney Ambrose applauded Government for the new payment arrangement but raised concern that the farmers should be treated the same.

“We are grateful to the Government and RBZ for coming up with a payment arrangement for this season. We commend RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya and his directors for their open door policy and positive engagement with representatives of growers’ associations and unions, over the past few months.

“We note with concern that where “RTGS” loans were given to growers by contractors. These are now being treated as USD currency loans in growers’ loan accounts at a rate of 1:1. This is an unfair practice, we believe and this will result in many growers not benefitting much, which will have a negative impact on their viability. We believe that “RTGS” loans should be settled with RTGS currency,” he said.

The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board has licensed 30 contractors and 31 buyers for the 2018/19 marketing season advance.

So far TIMB has registered 171 743 farmers for this marketing season an increase of 40 percent from the 122 520 who had registered during the same period last year.

There are 42 083 new growers so far. This is an increase of 24 percent from the 34 025 who had registered during the corresponding period.