Elita Chikwati
Senior Agriculture Reporter
The tobacco industry is implementing the tighter lockdown regulations announced by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, in his capacity as Minister of Health and Child Care, on Saturday for the sector with no more than two people now allowed to accompany each consignment of tobacco bales.

Existing measures such as masking and sanitising have to be strictly enforced and tobacco farmers and their workers will be given higher priority for vaccination.

“Tobacco auction floor employees are required to have a negative Covid-19 PCR or rapid antigen test which will be valid for two weeks. Vending within and around the tobacco floors is prohibited. Failure to adhere to these measures will result in closure of that particular auction floor, the Vice President announced.

There are also stricter measures for the main urban produce markets that require farmers to be more careful when delivering fresh produce.

Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board chief executive Mr Meanwell Gudu yesterday said the board had engaged stakeholders to ensure they implement the measures and curb infection.

“TIMB is working with all relevant stakeholders in the tobacco industry to ensure enforcement of the latest Covid-19 guidelines announced by Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care. We will implement in full all the guidelines in terms of tobacco marketing,” he said.

Tobacco Auction floors operators also gave nod to the regulations and urged farmers not to relax.

Boka Tobacco Floors general manager Mrs Chido Nyakudya said her floor had been enforcing the Covid-19 guidelines through sanitisation, maintaining social distance and temperature testing.

“We have been operating within the guidelines and we need to be more vigilant. Some farmers had relaxed. We advise farmers to adopt technology for selling their crop. One does not need to be physically present at the floors as a representative can witness the sale.

“Farmers can make use of technology. We can send them their sales sheets via email or on their phone and we are ready to give them more information regarding the selling of their crop,” she said.

Some stakeholders however expressed concern over the situation at banks where some farmers were crowding and not observing social distance.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president, Dr Shadreck Makombe said stringent measures will hit farmers but they have to comply for them to be safe.

“It is unfortunate people had relaxed and this will lead to an increase in cases. Life is of paramount importance and if all the people comply with the guidelines the situation will quickly improve and measures relaxed,” he said.

He urged authorities to ensure that unscrupulous business people will not take advantage of farmers and start offering unviable prices to desperate farmers.

Agriculture expert, Mr Charles Dhewa said horticultural farmers should also consider on-farm preservation and value addition as part of minimizing losses and lengthening their commodities’ shelf life. They should not put many hectares under perishable crops since the market will be very unpredictable.