Mthabisi Tshuma, Business Correspondent
NEWLY crowned 2020 national young champion farmer, Mr Pardon Mhuri, says the country can realise more gains if tobacco was grown in all parts of the country.

He dispels the notion that the golden leaf could only be grown successfully in the Mashonaland and Manicaland regions. Rather, Mr Mhuri suggests that tobacco seedling nurseries be set up in all provinces to ensure a thriving crop even in regions regarded as dry.

He said in an interview that Zimbabwe should decentralise tobacco production as part of an economic empowerment and recovery drive.

Farmers should just follow all necessary procedures in tobacco farming and positive yields could be realised, says the young farmer.

“Farmers need to follow agronomic advice and avoid cutting corners in order to achieve the best quality crops and high yields,” he said.

“A good tobacco crop is also largely dependent on the quality of the seedlings. Most tobacco farmers have a challenge nursing tobacco seedlings.”

Mr Mhuri said he will use his position as the national young champion farmer to advocate for establishment of seedling nurseries countrywide.

“If seedling nurseries can be established across the country it would ensure that farmers have access to good quality seedlings across the country.

“This will ensure farming of tobacco is decentralised to places that had been seen as being unable to sustain tobacco farming and in turn increase tobacco yields nationally,” he said.

Mr Mhuri said Zimbabwe’s young emerging farmers should take up tobacco farming as it was a lucrative enterprise.

“To facilitate the shift from small scale to commercial tobacco production, l established Mhuri Farming Private Limited, a private organisation that specialises in the growing of tobacco and tobacco seedlings, not just for its own use but for sale to other farmers as well,” he said.

In 2019, Mhuri Farming provided more than 600 small scale farmers with tobacco seedlings. For the 2020-2021 season, the young company intends to increase the number to 1 500 small scale growers.

Mr Mhuri said he was targeting to increase tobacco farming by 100 hectares and urged other youth farmers to follow suit.

He appealed to the Government to speed up the process of allocating land to the youth to ensure they also play a part in food production.

Mhuri Farming planted tobacco on 150 hectares in the last season and this year it targets growing the crop on 250 hectares.

“This is meant to play my part of fulfilling President Mnangagwa’s vision of an upper middle-income economy where the agriculture sector is productive.

“The Government has a role to play also by giving land to the youths as the land we are using is leased, which has setbacks on our growth,” he said.

Mr Mhuri has strong passion for farming and is keen to diversify his portfolio to cover a variety of crops.

He has already partnered with other young entrepreneurs to set up Deruka Foods (Pvt) Ltd, which supplies and distributes vegetables to different retail and fast-food chains and hotels in the country. — @mthabisi_mthire