Tobacco industry challenged on auction facilities

10 Nov, 2019 - 00:11 0 Views
Tobacco industry challenged on auction facilities Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Mashonaland West, Mary Mliswa

The Sunday News

Chrispen Gumunyu in Karoi, Business Reporter 

THE Government has urged the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board to invest in auction facilities in tobacco producing areas to ensure that farmers have access to selling points.

Speaking at the launch of Mhuri Farming Tobacco Seedling Scheme held last week in Karoi, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Mashonaland West, Mary Mliswa said the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board should consider construction of facilities that will enable local farmers to sell tobacco in their region. 

“I want to challenge the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board to consider adequately resourcing the auction floors here in Mashonaland West so that our farmers won’t have to travel all the way to Harare to sell their crop. Government has already leaned towards devolution and it is important that the private sector also follow suit as we all work towards achieving the Zimbabwe we all want. 

Therefore, let us have state-of-the-art auction floors here and cut the farmers from the vice of exorbitant transport costs they are often charged as they scale the mountain to deliver in Harare”, she said. 

She applauded Mhuri Farming for launching a tobacco seedling scheme which will contribute towards the growth of the tobacco industry in the country.

“Tobacco remains the country’s largest export crop which contributes significantly to our Gross Domestic Product and foreign currency earnings and as such Government takes great importance of this sector and welcomes young entrepreneurs such as Mhuri Farming who are taking the lead in reviving our tobacco sector through such schemes. My desire is to wake up to a day when the hard-working tobacco farmers are rewarded handsomely for their hard work,” she said.

Mhuri Farming is made up of a consortium of diverse agro-based interests whose aim is to operate a profitable and successful diversified farming operation that contributes to food security and to the economic, social and environmental well-being of Zimbabwe. 

The scheme will roll out a nursery of eight-hectare seedbeds which will produce 2 000 hectares of seedlings for 2 000 small scale and commercial farmers.

Mhuri Farming chief executive officer, Mr Pardon Mhuri said the nursery will produce quality seedlings as a way of ensuring that there is growth in the industry.

“Good quality seedlings are critical in the tobacco growing process as they determine yield as well as quality of the crop, which will affect the revenue of the farmer. Our intention is to contribute to the economic growth of the economy by ensuring that tobacco, which is the backbone of commercial agriculture in Zimbabwe, increases its contribution to Gross Domestic Product from this year onwards,” he said. 

He also said Mhuri Farming will implement strategies to promote afforestation within the tobacco industry.

“As part of our efforts to promote afforestation we offer 400 plants of gum trees for free for every hectare of seedlings that is bought from us and we follow up to ensure that the trees are planted. We encourage farmers who have large farms to use coal to cure their tobacco instead of firewood so that we control the rate of deforestation,” said Mr Mhuri.

@chrispen_gee

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