Buhle Nkomo —
Ronald could not believe his eyes at the sight of his hail and wind destroyed tobacco crop.
“Just eight days ago, I got the shock of my life when a hailstorm and wind totally destroyed 28 hectares of our irrigated tobacco crop. We have experienced a bit of hail in the past but this is the first time we had total destruction in the history of our farming,” said Ronald (55), a commercial tobacco farmer based in Macheke District.
“I only managed to salvage about ten bottom leaves, which are not valuable as I was hoping to get about 4 500 kilogrammes per hectare,” he added.
After consulting his father, a retired tobacco farmer, Ronald re-planted the 28 hectares. Fortunately for him, he had not destroyed his seedbed, whose legislative last date for destruction is December 31.
“There had been a lot of work to do hence we had not yet destroyed the seedbeds. Eighty percent of our seedlings were good. I pulled out the stalks of the hailstorm destroyed crop and planted the seedlings. I put fertiliser and the crop is growing well although it is more of an experiment. My fear now is that if more rains come, the stalks I pulled out may start growing and I would need to invest in destroying them.
“My father was a tobacco farmer and I came to the farm at the age of five. What I can tell you is it is very easy to grow tobacco and anyone can grow good tobacco. The matrices, however, change in the barn, during curing process.
“Tobacco farmers are usually on the right track in the field and seldom do you see bad tobacco. Problem start when it comes to curing. There is a lot of waste and quality is not attained. TIMB and Government should keep on investing in curing facilities.
“The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board has a rocket barn facility which it is extending to particularly small-scale farmers so as to increase quality and yield.
“Another practice by small-scale farmers which I find unnecessary is priming. Priming is done to avoid a clash in the barn as it gives two weeks difference. Most small-scale grow one crop hence they do not need to prime,” Ronald explained.
“I plant T66 and T26 varieties as one is fast growing and the other medium thus reducing congestion in the barn when curing and are not prone to diseases as varieties during my father’s days. These varieties I have realised that are suitable for the climatic conditions in this district.
“I have moved from the orange style our country is known for, to growing lemon styles through reducing nitrogen levels from 80 units to 50, because that is what the market wants. We are targeting to meet demand of the Chinese market since they buy about 60 per cent of our tobacco.
“The soil structure is being affected hence we also do good crop rotation which is two years Katambora Rhodes grass , two years maize and two years tobacco. Katambora seed has good market in Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
“I encourage small-scale farmers to do mixed farming and not depend on one farming project. I do cattle ranching as well as sheep and goat rearing. It is meant to manage risk in case of hail or other misfortune.”
Most small-scale farmers are not insured because it does not make sense. If TIMB could come up with one insurance facility that covers all small-scale farmers where they could share small costs and are paid based on the production history in the event of hail that would be beneficial. Obviously other Government departments and AGRITEX would need to partner in that initiative in order to make it successful.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board encourages tobacco farmers to insure their crop with reputable insurance companies, particularly in this season where the Meteorological Services Department is predicting normal to above normal rainfall and hailstorm is a serious threat to farming ventures.
For additional information contact TIMB on telephone numbers 08677004624/6 or 0772145166/9 or 0279-22082/21982 or 025-3439 or 067-24268/29246 or 0277-2700 or 064-7280 or 0271-6772 or Toll Free Numbers 08006003 / 0731999999 / 0712832804 or WhatsApp 0731999999 or E-mail: [email protected]