Elita Chikwati Senior Agriculture Reporter
Stakeholders in the tobacco industry are worried about delays by farmers to remove tobacco stalks within the stipulated dates to prevent the establishment and spread of the pests and diseases.

The non compliance has resulted in the increase of the Potato Virus Y (PVY), an aphid transmitted disease, which is threatening the industry.

The Plant Pests and Disease Act (Chapter 19:08 ) stipulates that tobacco plants that remain in the field must be destroyed by May 15 every year.

But according to AGRITEX, only 58 percent of the tobacco farmers have to date complied with the law.

Speaking at a tobacco indaba organised by Tobacco Research Board at the Kutsaga Research Institute on Monday, stakeholders expressed concern that farmers were not following the law and there was poor enforcement of the same.

Some of the stakeholders felt the $100 fine was not punitive enough, while others said there was need to introduce chemical control of the stalks as the growers did not have money to pay people to destroy the stalks.

The Plant Quarantine Services Institute representatives said in some cases farmers would be bitter about the low prices at the auction floors and they turn violent when approached or fined.

In most cases they do not pay the fines.

The stakeholders felt that there was also need to engage police on the issue.

Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement secretary Mr Ringson Chitsiko said there was need for stakeholders to work together and encourage self-policing as opposed to imposing sanctions.

“Zimbabwe seems to have taken a back seat. We do not seem to take responsibility of our own destiny. We are not doing enough.

“Self-policing of the industry players is critical.

“It will be cheaper, more sustainable and effective.

“We should also consider the environmental aspect that is causing the aphid population to increase and relate the incidences even to the rainfall pattern,” he said.

TRB general manager Dr Dahlia Garwe said the indaba was organised after stakeholders noticed an alarming increase in the volumes of tobacco infected by PVY.

“We have never seen anything like it, not in recent history.

“What we saw this year is only the beginning and next year the situation could be worse.

“We are looking at methods of preventing possible catastrophe in our tobacco industry.

“We are looking at what we should do to ensure there is adherence to legislation and everybody can enjoy the benefits of growing tobacco,” she said.

She said it was disturbing that farmers were growing crops in the same family with tobacco on the same piece of land, which was not allowed.

“There was a legislation to stop people from growing such crops on the same piece of land,” she said.

Stakeholders also suggested that contractors make it compulsory for a grower to first destroy the stalks within the legislated dates before they can access funding for the next crop.

Others suggested that the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board should ensure that any farmer intending to grow tobacco would have to destroy their stalks.

Growers associations were also tasked to educate their members on the importance of stalk destruction.

In the 1960s, PVY affected tobacco in northern areas with yield losses as high as 100 percent being record, especially on the late tobacco crops.

This led to the introduction of the legislation on planting date and destruction of stalks dates for tobacco.

Tobacco plants must be destroyed by May 15, seedbeds should not be sown before June 1 of each year and seedlings should not be transplanted into the fields before September 1.

All seedbeds must be destroyed as soon as seedlings are no longer required for the current season’s crop and no later than December 31.