The Tobacco Farmers Union Trust (TFUT) has voiced deep apprehension over alleged abuse of farmers' grower's numbers by some merchants saying this was fermenting side marketing and challenged the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) to act decisively.
The development comes on the backdrop of the deregistration of 37 000 growers by TIMB last year in an effort to curb tobacco side marketing and bring sanity to the tobacco industry.
TFUT president, Mr Victor Mariranyika said the abuse of a grower's number by a buyer was very serious and ruined tobacco marketing and accuracy of records.
"This is the tip of the iceberg for a whole orchestrated system of facilitating side marketing aided reportedly by surrogates of exporting companies.
"This syndicate has been hatched to thwart TIMB compliance structure and small-scale farmers are victims. We feel this matter needs to be dealt with to bring sanity to the tobacco industry," he said.
An A1 farmer from Plot 19 Crofton Farm in Rusape district, Mr Wellington Marowa recently wrote to Munakiri Leaf Tobacco Pvt Ltd and TIMB complaining about the fraudulent and criminal abuse of his grower's number V178837.
"For the 2022/23 season I applied for a contract with Munakiri and was duly supplied with inputs worth US$860, enough to do one hectare.
"I returned the inputs in November 2022 when I noticed that I was ill-prepared and was decontracted," he explained.
Mr Marowa allegedly requested Munakiri to clarify who supplied tobacco under his grower number, even though he never produced any crop that season.
A TIMB notification shows that grower V178837 sold 8 158 kilogrammes worth US$25 702, 60 at an average price of US$3, 15 per kilogramme in the 2023 marketing season.
TIMB public affairs officer Mrs Chelesani Tsarwe recently confirmed meeting with the complainant.
"The grower was advised that the company, which wrongfully used his grower's number would pay a fine to the board. The complainant was also advised to approach the courts for civil remedy on abuse of his grower's number," she said.
Munakiri information and publicity officer, Mr Sedweak Mupazviripo said there was no case but just an issue of sour grapes.
"I can't comment since the case is still under police investigations, but suffice to say that this grower left Munakiri company unceremoniously because of his gross misconduct.
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"And he is trying to address his issue of dismissal using unfound allegations," said Mr Mupazviripo.
Munakiri was one of the 33 licensed merchants authorised to conduct contract sales subject to satisfying TIMB requirements.
Tobacco Industry and Marketing Act, Chapter 18:20 says among other functions the board shall allot to each registered grower one, and not more than one, registered number and no person shall transfer to any other person the registered number, which has been allotted to him and any purported transfer of such registered number shall be invalid.
It also says any person who contravenes subsection (3) shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level five or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
The Act further says only growers who are registered shall sell tobacco of a particular type grown by him unless he is a registered grower of tobacco of that particular type. Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level five or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
