The Sunday Mail
Livingstone Marufu
The effectiveness of the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board (TIMB) in discharging its mandate of superintending the sector is increasingly being questioned, particularly in light of massive disgruntlements among farmers.
Much-anticipated tobacco prices meetings between farmers and Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) still hang in balance as both parties fail to co-operate to find everlasting solutions.
Farmers are discontented over poor tobacco prices at auction floors despite the good quality crop on offer and have sought to meet the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board to discuss the issue but as it stands the board is reluctant to meet the farmers.
In this regard, farmers do not understand the mandate of the board as it remains seemingly unconcerned with very low prices that had characterised the floors since their opening.
This has led to some farmers describing TIMB as interested parties in this price combat.
However, TIMB denied any plan for a meeting with the concerned farmers but will do so if they are approached.
TIMB public relations manager, Mr Isheunesu Moyo, said he would like to meet the concerned farmers but has not control over market forces.
“As far as I’m concerned this year’s prices are much, much better than last year’s average at day 19 of operation. You can see that by this time last year our average price stood at $2,45 against this year’s $2,67 per kilogramme.
“With time prices will certainly peak, last year we started slowly but we ended up being second to the United States. Zimbabwe’s average price last season was $2,95 per kg, this made us number two after the US which had an average price of $3,60 per kg. Brazil, Zambia and Malawi had average prices of $2,51, $2,60 and $2,60 respectively.
“We are keen to meet any farmer who is not happy with any issue in the Industry so that we can give them a listening ear and see how best we can address issues raised and make the Industry better. So far no-one has approached TIMB and our doors remain open as we look forward to attending to farmers’ issues.
“We interact with farmers everyday and are always looking forward to opportunities to improve operations within the industry and can confidently say that tobacco farmers are happy,” said Mr Moyo.
However, Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union executive director, Paul Zakaria, said farmers have sought audience with TIMB and buyers, whom he said have not yet given the nod to the proposed meeting.
He said there is strong suspicion that buyers could be colluding on prices and there was need to investigate the matter, which threatens the future of gold leaf production in Zimbabwe.
This comes as it emerged that many farmers are holding on to their tobacco either in protest over grossly low prices or in anticipation that the prices will improve as the season progresses.
Mr Zakaria said it is astonishing that tobacco prices this season have averaged $2,50 to $2,60 per kilogramme despite the fact that the crop is of the highest quality seen in recent years.
ZFU said that the lowest price given for the tobacco has been 10 cents per kilogramme, a price he said may not be offered even for the lowest quality tobacco grade.
Meanwhile, the number of golden leaf farmers dropped from last year’s 92 430 to 71 728.
This drop, the farmers’ organisations argue, could be because of a growing lack of confidence in tobacco occasioned by poor prices.
“We are very much saddened with the current tobacco pricing regime which leaves a farmer with nothing to show up after a year of hard working hence there is need for a meeting with TIMB and buyers. Lack of confidence in market prices and poor rains are some of the reasons the planted area has gone down. The continuous declining of prices is likely to affect the future of the golden leaf just like what happened to cotton,” he said.
This year’s tobacco output is projected to reach 160 million kilogrammes from last year’s 198,5 kilogrammes.
