The ongoing 2025 tobacco marketing season has brought disappointment and financial losses for farmers whose barns were recently devastated by fires.
Two tobacco growers recently lost a collective 12 bales from fire barns. One of the affected A1 farmers, Mr Wonder Munhenga, from Hungwe Farm in Marondera lost three bales of his self-financed tobacco crop in the inferno.
"I had placed 300 tiers of my harvested tobacco in the barn, hoping to yield three bales after completing the seven-day curing process," he explained. We conduct barn checks every two hours at night, and when my son went for inspection at 3:00 AM, the barn was engulfed in flames just an hour later."
Mr Munhenga suspects that a pipe burst due to elevated temperatures, combined with the barn's small height, was the cause of the fire.
"I lost the three bales, but I have since repaired and adjusted the barn's height. Next year, I plan to expand my hectarage and insure my crops," he said, noting that he planted nearly 10 000 plants on a one-hectare plot this season.
Similarly, Mr Onekai Burira from Mapere Farm in Mvurwi experienced a devastating fire that affected a two-hectare crop, 50 percent of which was insured.
"I had loaded 1 300 lines of tobacco into my barn, almost equivalent to nine bales, which were completely burnt. The fire was caused by excessive heat, which ruptured the pipe, allowing flames to consume the entire lot," he revealed.
Fortunately, the damaged crop was from the insured hectare, and the insurance contractor has sent assessors to evaluate the losses and facilitate compensation.
After repairing his barn, Mr Burira successfully cured the remaining tobacco, selling it at auction floors at an average price of $3 per kilogramme.
"Next season, I plan to increase my hectarage to three hectares and insure the entire area," he affirmed.
The losses for these two farmers amount to a staggering US$4 116 based on an average market price of $3.43 per kg and an average bale weight of 100 kilogrammes. A local tobacco expert on a Tobacco Farmer Talk (TFT) social group offered advice on preventing barn fires.
"Farmers need to understand that tobacco is highly flammable. Fires typically start at the firebox inside the barn during the midrib fixing period, where excessive heat is applied for curing.
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As temperatures hit around 60 degrees Celsius, pressure builds up inside the barn, causing the tobacco leaves to shake and invite colder air. This denser air can cause the leaves to fall against the flue pipes, igniting and spreading fire throughout the barn," he explained.
Kutsaga Research has highlighted that tobacco curing, conducted in specific barns, is a controlled process that creates ideal conditions for the leaves to physiologically ripen. This process consists of several distinct stages:
Stage 1 (Colouring -- duration: 1 to 2 days): The leaves undergo chemical and enzymatic changes at temperatures of 30 to 40 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of around 85 percent.
Stage 2 (Lamina drying -- duration: 2 to 3 days): Moisture is removed from the leaves at temperatures of 40 to 50 degrees Celsius.
Stage 3 (Mid rib drying -- duration: 4 to 5 days): The mid-rib or stem of the leaf dries at temperatures between 65 to 70 degrees Celsius, with decreasing humidity.
Kutsaga further notes that the curing duration varies based on the position of the leaves on the plant, the type of curing barn used, and local environmental conditions.
The upper leaves have lower moisture content and require less curing time compared to those at the bottom. After the curing cycle, the barn is "conditioned" by reintroducing 12 to 15 percent moisture into the leaves for easier handling.
Natural disasters have often affected the agriculture sector, with most farmers, especially smallholder farmers, incurring huge losses as they would not have insured their crops, livestock and property.
It is important for farmers to insure their crops, livestock and property to ensure that they are covered against risks like theft, fire, hail, epidemic attacks, damages and loss.
