Lisa Shirichena Review Writer
Since its introduction to Zimbabwe by the British-American Tobacco (BAT) multinational years ago, tobacco culture, use, health and economic implications have become issues of social and academic inquiry.

Nicknamed the ‘gold leaf’ today, the crop poses a particularly difficult dilemma for development as its production has generated a wide range of employment, income, foreign exchange and other cash-contributing effects but there are growing concerns not only about the health hazards involved in tobacco production, but also about the environmental unsustainability of the crop in terms of excessive use of wood.

The country’s forest landscapes are vanishing at an alarming rate and environmental impact assessment reports of deforestation border upon dismal with experts are saying the lack of trees threatens the entire country with ever worsening and more frequent droughts.

Legislation requires farmers to use coal in curing tobacco but most have been cutting down trees illegally arguing that they could not afford to buy alternatives sources of energy like coal. In an effort to curtail the usage of firewood in the curing of tobacco, farmers and top stakeholders in the farming industry converged in Centenary last week to educate each other about other methods of curing tobacco without using firewood.

Local village head Steven Muzinde said most tobacco farmers are now using coal in curing their tobacco. He added that they have long abandoned the practice buying firewood since they claim that it is expensive.

“Farmers can’t afford to buy gum tree firewood since their produce is sold at a very low price, now they have resorted to using coal as a way of curing tobacco and various companies have come up to train us on how to use this fuel.” The village head said coal was very efficient in curing tobacco just like firewood does and through this method they were hoping to reforest their area.

“I am encouraging all farmers to plant more gum trees for the community to regain its forestry and preserve it,” said chief Muzinde.

Muzinde asserted that tobacco farmers were destroying trees as they use it for curing their tobacco.

“There are no more trees, farmers used to be given permission by forestry to cut trees. That permission worsened the situation and now they have destroyed all the forests,” he said.

One of the farmers Mrs Vimbai Mudimu said as tobacco farmers, they have resorted to other methods of curing tobacco for them to keep their business afloat.

“We have a contract with Tribac so we are given firewood, coal and the community as a whole we are assisted by the company, we have other places we are planting these trees,” she said.

“It’s now close to five years using coal and our yield is increasing,” she said.

Local tobacco company Tribac Leaf Limited is working with farmers introducing them to other forms of efficient fuels which can be used in curing tobacco. These fuels are coal and ethanol.

Tribac agronomist Mr Mafaro Ngwarati said his company has long established a platform of providing farmers and the community with coal to minimise deforestation in the area.

“We provide farmers with coal and we use a v-slot furnace which minimises fire required in curing tobacco, this reduces the amount of coal and energy required for the process,” he said.

He said his company is doing all it can to make sure that the area gains back its wooded state.

“We are reforesting the area by giving farmers gum trees to grow, so far we have issued out 20 000 seedlings to some of them,” added Ngwarati.

Coal has been used for many years now and it is still being decentralised in all parts of the country were tobacco is mostly grown.