In a move that will revolutionise the tobacco industry and promote sustainable production methods, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) is training its technical team to use the advanced geographic information system (GIS).
This development will essentially transform the tobacco production landscape through enhance the skills and knowledge of team members and ensure they help create a more environmentally friendly and socially responsible tobacco industry.
"The overarching goal is to establish a centralised database that meticulously maps the location and size of tobacco fields nationwide.
"This will allow us to tie grower productivity to their registered land and finally address longstanding challenges like side-selling that have plagued the industry for years," explained TIMB spokesperson and public relations officer Mrs Chelesani Tsarwe.
GIS is a powerful technology that integrates, analyses, and visualises geographically referenced data, enabling more informed decision-making. TIMB's latest training initiative aims to empower its staff with the expertise to leverage this system for more effective industry regulation and environmental protection.
By collecting precise GPS coordinates and field measurements, TIMB envisions generating accurate yield estimates at both the individual grower and national levels. The geospatial data will also enable the identification of regional trends related to critical sustainability issues, such as child labour practices, deforestation, and water scarcity.
"Having this localised intelligence at our fingertips will be a game-changer, empowering us to deploy tailored interventions and support programmes where they are needed most.
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"This is crucial for promoting environmentally friendly tobacco cultivation, particularly among vulnerable smallholder farmers who are most susceptible to the impacts of climate change and economic volatility," said Mrs Tsarwe.
The comprehensive training has equipped TIMB's technical team with the skills to effectively deploy data collection tools, design customised surveys, and analyse the GIS information. They are now better positioned to assist growers in adopting sustainable agricultural practices and mitigating environmental risks.
"Our field officers will use this knowledge to continuously educate and empower small-scale producers, helping them navigate the complex challenges of modern farming. We are also working towards making the grower registration process more accessible, to protect them from exploitation by unscrupulous elements," she added.
Through these GIS-powered initiatives, TIMB aims to strengthen the long-term viability of Zimbabwe's tobacco industry while minimising its environmental footprint. The regulator hopes this will secure a sustainable future for the country's tobacco farmers and the broader agricultural sector.
"By harnessing the power of geospatial data, we can make informed, targeted decisions that benefit both growers and the environment as this is a critical step in our ongoing efforts to transform tobacco production into a truly sustainable enterprise, one that is resilient to the impacts of climate change and responsive to the evolving needs of our communities," Mrs Tsarwe concluded.
