Edgar Vhera — Kutsaga Research Station yesterday confirmed selling tobacco seed to cover 108 000 hectares as at June 20, as prospects of a good rainy season beckon.
This represents a 23 percent surge in seed sales from 440 kilogrammes sold at the same time in 2023 to the current 538.
Statistics released by Kutsaga Research show that farmers have bought 538,82 kilogrammes of seed with potential to plant 107 763 hectares.
"As of June 20, Kutsaga had sold 538,82 kg of tobacco seed with the capacity to cover 107 763 hectares. Last year at the same time farmers had bought 439,74kg with potential to cover 87 948 hectares," said Kutsaga public relations and communications officer Mr Tatenda Mugabe.
A 5 gramme pack of tobacco seed produces seedlings enough to plant one hectare and costs US$33 or ZiG450,45.
Kutsaga has also sown four million tobacco seedlings to date for sales to farmers who do not have the expertise to grow them.
Zimbabwe Tobacco Growers Association (ZTGA) chairman Mr George Seremwe said prospects of a good season coupled with alternatives of better paying crops will see an increase in tobacco production this season.
"Farmers are enthusiastic and we are likely going to see lot of free grown tobacco, as they are utilising their 25 percent local currency portion to purchase fertiliser and chemicals.
"Probably, the country will get a record high harvest this coming summer season in the absence of alternative crops on the market that are paying better," he said.
Tobacco Farmers Union Trust (TFUT) vice president Mr Edward Dune said current sales need to increase to reach a record production and farmers needed to up their gameto reach the 300 million kg target next year.
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"The total tobacco seed bought so far is still slightly lower than the industry's expected target. We need to raise the national average yield to reach three tonnes per hectare from the current low of less than two tonnes," Mr Dune said.
He noted that improved leaf quality and higher productivity levels could only be achieved if contractors modelled facilities that met particular farmer's soil nutritional requirements.
"Contractors need to insist on supplying inputs to farmers with tested soils to boost production. We advise farmers to ensure that they enter into transparent contractual arrangements in view of the expected good season, thanks to La Nina," he added.
The country's largest tobacco hectarage was in 2019 when 146 000ha were planted.
Irrigated and dryland tobacco farmers sow their seeds at different times, with those for the former sowing on June 1 and the latter following a little later.
The earliest date for irrigated tobacco transplanting onto fields is September 1 while that for dryland normally follows a month later.
Meanwhile, the ongoing 2024 marketing season has seen 201 million kg of tobacco worth US$698 million being sold by Day 68 at an average price of US$3, 42 per kilogramme, a 15 percent surge from last year's US$3, 02.
