Tobacco became the most important economic crops in Zimbabwe

Tobacco According to the “Herald” reported compile Although more and more people are concerned, crop yield decline would threaten the food security of the country, but due to tobacco auctions continue to be able to get a high price, registered in 2013-2014 Tobacco season planting tobacco farmers more than 83000 people.

In the last tobacco season, there are 60,000 registered farmers grow tobacco. As the commune of farmers and small-scale farmers mainly rely on firewood for tobacco processing, and therefore, people’s fear is not limited to large-scale cultivation of cash crops in Zimbabwe, but people are worried about forest depletion.

The latest statistics Zimbabwe Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board show that 83,668 registered tobacco farmers, there are 39,278 farmers called communes, 28,418 peasant named A1, A2 farmers have called 9119, there are 6,853 small-scale farmers to farmers.

The interests of the agricultural sector will increase in tobacco-related production, due to favorable prices and marketing orderly. The average price of tobacco Tobacco last season for $ 4 to $ 5 per kilogram.

Many farmers have turned to growing tobacco from the cultivation of cotton, corn and wheat crops because these crops so that farmers have encountered some challenges, such as lack of funds, low market prices.

Statistics show that, due to the low price offered by cotton producers, cotton production has declined by 48 percent, while the cultivation of wheat and corn farmers are facing problems to sell their crops.

Provide high grain marketing board can not afford to do cash on delivery. The farmers had to wait a few months to get paid, which prevented many farmers grow food crops, making some farmers now only a very few hectares of corn planted for household consumption purposes.

Farmers’ union said the main corn and wheat prices remain depressed, like tobacco farmers would consider this more profitable crops.

Bankers are more willing to provide funding for tobacco, rather than providing funding for high-risk contact with food crops.

Chairman of the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe President George Guvamatanga recently announced $ 620 million earmarked for the agricultural community, said that tobacco accounted for 50% of all resources.

He said: “Most of the funding is to be provided to the cultivation of tobacco agriculture, which accounts for 50% of all resources.”

He said that 7.55% of the funds will benefit the cotton industry, 4.87% of the funds allocated to corn planting. 3.52% of the funds to the horticultural industry, 6.94% of the funds to the sugar cane industry. Funds allocated breeding room received 4.88% of the total amount.

Agricultural economist Mr Midway Bhunu said tobacco is a very important crop because of its gross domestic product has made a great contribution.

Last year, revenue from the sale of tobacco farmers received more than $ 612 million.

“Increasing tobacco production is a positive development, because many farmers grow tobacco by improving their own lives.”

He said: “This will not cause impact on food safety, because the income received by the tobacco can be used to buy the real thing there are other countries is totally dependent on the mining industry, but their food is safe in Zimbabwe can do the same. that we can use the taxes from the tobacco industry to recover immovable Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau to produce food for the country. ”

Mr Midway Bhunu said that because tobacco processing dependence on firewood serious, so people have great concerns for the environment.

“We should be like Brazil and other countries are doing it, for solar, wind and biogas and other alternative energy research.”

He said: “If farmers continue to cut down trees without replacing this approach, we will create the desert, and this will lead to global warming, resulting in a negative impact on agricultural operations.”

Zimbabwe’s commercial farmers union president, Mr. Wonder Chabikwa that the agricultural sector is planning to raise tobacco production to 200 million kg.

He said: “We should develop mechanisms to enable farmers to get closer to them coal, thereby reducing costs.”

According to the statistics of the Zimbabwe Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board, 80% of farmers and growers for the commune A1 farmers, who rely on firewood for tobacco processing.