AS tobacco growers commence harvesting and curing of the golden leaf, hopes remain high they will produce a quality leaf to ensure high returns.
The tobacco cycle starts in June when farmers prepare their seedbeds.
In September, planting begins mainly for farmers who irrigate their crop.
Those who depend on rainfall continue to manage seedbeds and nurseries waiting for the onset of rains.
It takes an average 90 days before the crop matures.
Harvesting starts in December and marketing begins in February.
Last season’s marketing was delayed as rains were received late and most farmers were behind schedule.
The marketing of the golden leaf has become synonymous with price wars between buyers and growers.
Growers contend buyers are ripping them off while buyers argue prices are in line with the crop’s quality.
Experts have said if growers expect favourable prices, caution should be taken from production to curing.
How a farmer treats the crop from the field to the barn determines the end product and price.
Zimbabwe Progressive Tobacco Farmers’ Association president Mutandwa Mutasa said farmers constantly required not only training on marketing but also on curing and baling.
“Farmers often complain over the prices that are offered by buyers but sometimes the reasons for poor prices have to be addressed by the farmers,” he said.
“A quality tobacco leaf is long, soft to touch and it should be orange or lemon in colour.
“All these attributes show that efforts were made by the farmer to put adequate fertiliser and also the crop was properly cured.”
This season, as a result of continuous rains, the ripening of the crop has been quickened.
Most farmers rely on firewood to cure tobacco citing that the cost of coal was not affordable.
The process of curing tobacco takes seven days.
Mutasa said farmers should ensure the crop is cured at the recommended temperatures, depending on the stages of the curing process.
After curing the tobacco, the golden leaf is stored and then graded.
“Farmers should ensure the crop is stored under the correct temperatures,” he said.
“When high humidity is experienced, growers should ensure tobacco is in good keeping condition and not over-conditioned as this may lead to mould.”
Once the crop is graded, it is then baled.
“Grease from the baling box screw should not come out into contact with tobacco,” said Mutasa.
“Tobacco for sale should not be transported together with diesel or any other fuel as this may contaminate the tobacco.
“Any tobacco that is contaminated with fuel will be withdrawn from sale.”
Once a farmer produces a quality crop, Mutasa said, one is guaranteed a fair price on the market.
“One of the reasons other bales are rejected or priced lower is, the farmer would have mixed different sized leafs or those of a different quality,” he said.
Efforts continue to be made to ensure tobacco growers benefit from producing the crop.
Last year, changes were made to the payment system with the hope of improving operations of farmers and these have helped cushion farmers from the ‘cash crisis’.
Under new regulations by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, farmers are required to be paid through their banks in order to encourage savings and foster financial inclusion.
This entails all farmers to have bank accounts.
In the past, it was only mandatory for contract farmers to have bank accounts.
With stakeholders optimistic, it remains to be seen whether this marketing season will be different from the past seasons.
Past marketing seasons were also characterised by congestion, with some farmers having to spend days and weeks camped outside floors without having sold their crop.
Auction floors blamed farmers for not following the correct marketing procedure of having to book their crop first and being in possession of a grower’s number.
This has resulted in the eroding of the farmers’ premium as they spend days at the auction floors before their crop has been sold.
As if the pricing issue is not enough to cause ‘headaches’ for some farmers, they too have to be on the lookout for some unruly elements that plot all year on how to rob unsuspecting farmers.