THE 2015 tobacco marketing season gets underway this week.
Stakeholders are upbeat it will be a successful one, despite the late start.
Traditionally, the selling of the golden leaf starts mid-February, but this season it was delayed as the rains were received late.
With stakeholders optimistic, it remains to be seen whether this marketing season will be different from past ones.
Past marketing seasons were characterised by congestion with some farmers having to spend days and weeks camped outside floors.
Auction floors blamed farmers for not following the correct marketing procedure of booking their crop and being in possession of a grower’s number before coming to the floors.
This has resulted in the eroding of the farmer’s premium as they spend many more days than anticipated at the auction floors before their crop is sold.
The issue of prices has been another bone of contention at the floors.
Last year farmers boycotted selling their crop demanding a review of the prices arguing that merchants were deliberately under-pricing their crop.
In addition to the issue of pricing, farmers have had to be on the lookout for unruly elements that plot all year how to cash in on unsuspecting farmers.
Stories of farmers who would have failed to account for the fruits of their labour are not new during the tobacco marketing season.
Some farmers who would be first-time visitors to Harare suffer at the hands of devious thieves who take advantage of the lack of knowledge of some farmers.
Stories of farmers who are made to pay fines by bogus police officers for crossing the red robot while travelling on foot characterise the marketing season.
Cases of farmers losing their crops at the floors are slowly becoming the norm.
Betty Masango of Munhenga Farm implored the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) to intervene when farmers lose their bales at the auction floors.
“Last year I was disappointed when five of my bales were deemed to be mixed hand (mixing different grades in one bale) and they were not sold and had to be returned to me for repacking but I never found them,” she said.
“I tried to inquire with the auction floors on the whereabouts of the bales and even made a complaint to the TIMB, but was given the run around.
“This is disheartening as all my hard work is in vain as someone got to enjoy the fruits of my labour.”
Some of the reasons why other bales are rejected or priced lower is because the farmer would have mixed different sized leaves or those of a different quality
Masango said some auction floor workers were working in cahoots with bogus business people duping farmers.
“It is not new that when a farmer recalls the sale of their crop, auction floor workers approach the farmer with the intention of buying the crop at a slightly higher price,” she said.
“We suspect these workers then resell the crop using the farmer’s details at a higher price in connivance with the merchants.”
Masango said despite the disappointment of losing part of her crop last year she was looking forward to the marketing of the crop.
“Last season I had three and a half hectares under tobacco and this year was limited by seeds that ran out, I would have put seven hectares instead of the five I have,” she said.
“I was impressed with the prices I got last year with my highest price being US$5,10 per kilogramme (kg).
“This year I am focusing on maintaining the quality of the leaf as I did last year so that I get favourable prices.”
Shamva farmer, Tendai Makamba said measures should be put in place to protect the farmer.
“Many people want to reap where they did not sow and in turn the farmer is the one who suffers in the end,” she said.
“Last year I was surprised when I got my cheque at the floors only to discover that US$600 had been deducted and paid to an insurance company I was not insured with.
“I followed them up and it was only when I threatened to report to the police that they gave me back my money.
“Up till today I do not know where they got my details and they even had a signed document which they claimed I had signed but had never seen it before.
“Imagine other farmers who do not take time to analyse their cheques how much money they are losing.”
Zimbabwe Progressive Tobacco Farmers Association president, Mutandwa Mutasa urged TIMB to scrutinise rehandlers to ensure transparency in cases of rejected bales.
Rehandlers are those contracted to repack any rejected bales.
“Some of these rehandlers are bogus business people who want to profiteer at the expense of farmers,” he said.
The tobacco production sub-sector, a former preserve of white farmers, has grown over the years with production levels rising from an all-time low of 48,8 million kg in 2008 to 215, 7 million kg last season.
This year, 222 million kg is expected to go under the hammer.
Tobacco contributes 20 percent of the gross domestic product.
The sector accounts for 40 percent of exports and supplies 63 percent of raw materials for agro industries.
The country exports 98 percent of semi-finished tobacco products, with the rest being consumed locally.