Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
Tobacco farmers have raked in nearly $50 million from the sale of the crop. The new tobacco payment system has resulted in some farmers spending days camped at the auction floors waiting to process their money. This season, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe introduced a new payment system where tobacco farmers will no longer get cash as the money will be deposited into their bank accounts.
Farmers at the auction floors complained that the new system had resulted in them staying for a longer period than they used to do when they were getting cash during the past seasons.
Trelawney farmer, Mrs Koshiwayi Gadzikwa said she had been staying at the floors for three days as her money was taking long to reflect in her bank account.
“The process is proving to be long. We have been going to the bank to check if the money is reflecting and we are afraid we may spend the weekend at the floors. We do not have enough money to buy food and we end up incurring huge losses.
“My husband ended up losing his particulars to thieves. We want to go back to the farm and grade our crop,” she said.
Hurungwe farmer, Mr Lisborn Kachuta said the new payment system had created problems because cash was not available at the banks.
“We brought our children and this has made life hard for us as we cannot buy food. We are now relying on borrowing from our transporters back home for us to survive here,” he said.
Mr Kachuta said during the past seasons, the process was fast and people could go back to their farms and attend to other duties. Boka Tobacco Floors director, marketing and business development, Mrs Chido Nyakudya said a high number of farmers was still coming to the floors without bank accounts.
“We had problems during the first days, but now farmers are aware the new system is mandatory. They now know it is the requirement of the RBZ that they be paid through banks and they are opening accounts,” she said.
Mrs Nyakudya said the prices were firm this season compared to last season. Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board communications manager, Mr Isheunesu Moyo said some farmers used defunct account numbers they last used many years ago, some during the Zimdollar era.
“TIMB will continue to monitor the floors and ensure farmers are served in the best possible time,” he said. Meanwhile, latest TIMB statistics indicate by day 15 farmers had sold 18,4 million kilogrammes of tobacco worth $48 million, an increase of 73 percent from the 10,6million kg worth $24,9 million that had been sold during the same time last year.
The statistics also show that the price of tobacco has continued firming with the crop fetching an average price of $2,60 per kg.
The auction floors have registered a highest price of $4,99 per kg while contract floors have registered $5,60 per kg.