TIMB discloses inputs package, 12 500ha planted
WITH over 12 500ha of land confirmed to have been put under tobacco by November 1, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) yesterday revealed the minimum tobacco inputs package that farmers are supposed to get from contractors.
This comes against a backdrop of growing complaints by farmers over the way contractors have over the years short-changed them through supplying inadequate inputs, whose value they inflate come marketing time.
TIMB public affairs officer, Mrs Chelesani Tsarwe yesterday disclosed the levels of inputs that contractors are expected to avail to growers from seedbed preparation to curing.
“The seedbed pack that is compulsory for growers contracted up to August 31 is as shown above, thereafter it is at contractor’s discretion,” said Mrs Tsarwe.
The personal protective equipment (PPE) for growers doing one hectare is the same as for half a hectare as shown above:
From seedbed, growers are entitled to the following inputs for crop maintenance in the field:
The minimum input package ends with the provision of curing fuel with Mrs Tsarwe disclosing that the coal mass was set at 500 kilogrammes per hectare this season due to time lines and logistical issues with getting third parties compliance with plans to increase it in later years.
The announcement of the package is handy to growers, as they engage with contractors from an informed position and serves as a mechanism for monitoring the farmer/contractor agreement.
The 2022 tobacco marketing season was dogged by challenges of the late delivery of inadequate inputs, which were not invoiced on issuance at the start of the season, only to be over-invoiced at marketing time.
Some unfortunate growers spent nights at floors waiting to be paid for their delivered tobacco culminating in the suspension of some players.
In a statement recently, TIMB revealed that some growers had not yet been paid for tobacco sold during the 2021/22 marketing season saying that had affected timeous preparations for the 2022/23 season.
TIMB indicated that it was working towards resolving the issue to ensure that all outstanding payments were disbursed.
On another note, TIMB has revealed that merchants are also owed large amounts of money for inputs by tobacco growers and urged the farmers to pay off their debts.
TIMB said orderly marketing remained fundamental to the continued success of the tobacco industry and as such all growers who completed sales but have not received payments are advised to approach the organisation.
The Government in 2021 came up with the tobacco value chain transformation plan ( TVCTP), which sought to achieve a US$5 billion industry by 2025 through localisation of tobacco funding, increased production and productivity and value addition, beneficiation and export of cigarettes.
All these were meant to contribute to gross domestic product ( GDP) growth, foreign currency generation, employment creation and raising household incomes pursuant to the Vision 2030 goal of a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society.
Tobacco production supports about 160 000 households and accounts for more than 50 percent of agricultural exports and 25 percent of agriculture GDP.