Blessing Rwizi Mutare Bureau
THOUSANDS of tobacco farmers from Manicaland have benefited from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board’s inputs credit initiative, which kicked off this year. TIMB through a $28,5 million loan from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is disbursing a full package of inputs to non-contracted tobacco farmers.
All eligible tobacco farmers are accessing the inputs, while they can also access working capital component from Agribank branches nearest to them. A total of 22 000 farmers in Mashonaland and Manicaland provinces have so far benefited from the programme. Each farmer received 8x50kg bags of fertiliser during the beginning of the 2017/18 season and will soon get one more bag each and cash to pay labourers.
These inputs are enough to plant at least one-hectare. The inputs credit programme also came with an insurance component, which covers farmers, in case of hailstorms, barn fires or loss through theft. TIMB public relations and communications manager Mr Isheunesu Moyo said: “TIMB aims to create nostro-dollars for the country and its efforts compliment what merchants are already doing.
“These efforts are aimed at improving the quality of tobacco produced in Zimbabwe as well as viability for the farmers. The TIMB has employed more staff to train farmers on good agronomic practices, as well as agribusiness.
“For quite a number of small-scale farmers, insurance of their crop is something they do not take seriously. In that case, the programme has an insurance component, which covers farmers in case of hailstorms, barn fires or loss through theft.
“TIMB also aims to continue to capacitate farmers in terms of tools of the trade through provision of efficient curing facilities to large scale farmers such as tunnel curing systems and centre pivots.” Mrs Susan Mutamawofa, a tobacco farmer in Headlands, hailed the inputs initiative.
“We had serious input challenges over the past years and our yields were deteriorating more and more,” she said. “TIMB has restored lives among tobacco farmers and we are looking forward to good harvesting this season and beyond.” Another farmer from Nyamazura, Mrs Edna Phiri said: “Most farmers have more than a hectare of land and given more inputs and machinery, we can produce more tobacco and improve the tobacco industry in Zimbabwe.
“On behalf of the farmers, we are appealing to TIMB to source more funds for more inputs, machinery and cash to pay labourers. The inputs credit scheme plan has kicked off well and we are very happy that we will be able to meet our needs at the end of the season and move on to the next stage.”