Elita Chikwati Senior Agriculture Reporter
Agriculture experts are worried about tobacco re-growth in many areas as this may result in the spread of pests and diseases to the new plants still in seedbeds.

Tobaccos stalks should be destroyed by May 15, every year.

Failure by tobacco growers to destroy stalks will attract a fine of US$100 per hectare. Non-compliance by farmers in removing stalks has resulted in the spread of diseases, thereby threatening the lucrative tobacco industry. Principal Agriculture extension specialist, Mr Kennedy Mabehla said they had dispatched teams to the farming areas to identify offenders.

“Training of farmers was done in six tobacco-growing districts of Mazowe, Bindura, Muzarabani, Shamva, Mt Darwin and Guruve, Seke, Chivhu and Goromonzi and ongoing across other tobacco-growing districts.

“Post harvesting activity involved monitoring of planted tobacco seedbeds, tobacco stalks and re-growths in fields, pests and diseases as well as management of re-growths after the first tobacco destruction both in the field and seedbeds. The Pests and Disease Act (chapter 19: 08) at which farmers are expected to have removed all tobacco in fields by May 15 every year still stands to strengthen awareness of such legislative issues,” he said.

Mr Mabehla said training of extension staff was ongoing across major tobacco-growing districts and teams were monitoring compliance on the ground.

He said Potato Virus Y was the major threat to tobacco seedbeds.

“We are encouraging farmers to completely destroy the stalks as we have seen the increase of re-growths.

“We need to sustain the industry through quality tobacco and this can only be achieved by sticking to set legislative dates, meant to protect the farmers from this threat of Aphid transmitted diseases,” he said.

A Statutory Instrument (19.08) was put in place to curb the spread of tobacco pests by introducing tobacco-free periods every year to break the pests’ life cycle. According to the SI, all tobacco stalks in the field should be destroyed before 15th May of every year. This means rendering the tobacco plants incapable of growth.