Zim to produce 550kg of tobacco seed

Theseus Shambare

ZIMBABWE is targeting to produce about 550 kilogrammes of hybrid tobacco seed during the 2023-24 summer cropping season to replenish national stocks and cater for local commercial production, as well as the export market.

A five-gramme packet of tobacco seed can cover up to a hectare, and this season’s production will produce enough seed to cover about 110 000ha.

Kutsaga, the country’s tobacco research institute, produces both burley and flue-cured tobacco seed varieties.

The institute exports between 800kg to a tonne of seed annually, while local demand similarly stands at 800kg.

In an interview on the sidelines of a tobacco seed production field day held at Tapiwanashe Farm in Guruve, Mashonaland Central province, Kutsaga head of seed production division Mrs Christina Chisango said the scheme was highly beneficial.

“We engage excellent tobacco leaf producers to grow seed for us,” she said.

“Under the outgrower scheme, we train them on how the seed should be grown and we walk with them throughout all stages of production.”

During the production period, she said, the institute works closely with the Government Seed Services Institute (GSSI) for quality checks.

“GSSI are our inspectors, as they inspect the crop at different stages of growth to ensure the crop is vigorous, uniform and, at the same time, pest-and disease-free.

“We also work with Plant Quarantine Services, which also inspects the crops to check that the seed meets international standards for our export market,” said Mrs Chisango.

She said the national tobacco seed stocks are usually kept in quantities that meet demand.

This season, only five out of the 12 registered tobacco seed farmers have been contracted under Kutsaga’s tobacco seed outgrower scheme.

“We do not necessarily let all our contracted farmers produce seed annually, but this is determined by the level of seed in our stocks, which we usually keep at five-year cover.

“Our focus is to maintain and continue improving on our well-known high-quality and best-yielding tobacco seeds,” she said.

Host farmer Mr Sydney Gwaze expressed gratitude for the knowledge he got from Kutsaga.

“Being in this scheme has improved my approach towards tobacco production,” he said.

“Results-oriented extension officers have been making me pay particular attention to detail and I have no doubt that the type of seed we are producing is of high quality.”

The extension officers, he added, always pay impromptu visits to the fields to ensure farmers are following good agronomic practices. Mr Gwaze has planted 1 250 “female” tobacco plants, from which he is expecting to harvest a minimum of 100kg, which is on average bought by Kutsaga at US$1,80 per gramme.

X: @TheseusShambare