eBusiness Weekly
Tapiwanashe Mangwiro
The incessant rains experienced across the country in February and early March have left some small-scale tobacco farmers counting their losses after their crop fell victim to a bacteria attack known as angular.
Although the 2022-2023 farming season had good rainfall favourable for crops, the incessant rains received in the weeks of February in some parts of the country, harmed the golden.
Some small-scale farmers who were yet to harvest were left counting their losses as their crops have been affected.
“This bacteria attack is now putting us under pressure to harvest and with the rate these leaves are drying up we have lost hope of harvesting all in time,” said a farmer who spoke to Business Weekly.
Angular is a bacterial disease that is associated with the drying of leaf cells at the maturity stage.
“This rotting of leaves is a disaster to tobacco farming ,and as it is, poor crop management and weather conditions are among the main contributing factors, many small-scale farmers have fallen victim to this disease.
“It is very important that farmers plant and harvest on time so that such losses are avoided,” said Jabulani Mhundwa, an agronomist.
According to an expert in crop diseases, angular is a disease in tobacco farming that has no cure.
“It is unfortunate that once angular attacks there is no cure. The only way is for farmers to fortify their crops from seedbed up to the time of harvesting to avoid such surprises,” said Joe Mkandla, a crop chemicals specialist.
Agronomist Anderson Magura, said the only way to prevent such an attack on your tobacco is to practice early ploughing in nurseries among other pre-planting measures.
“Farmers need to use certified disease free seed as well as rotate nursery sites and fields every three to four years with the following non-host crops such as groundnuts and maize. It is also prudent to keep nursery and fields weed free to prevent alternative hosts from harbouring the pathogen inoculum,” he said.
According to Magura, you need to fumigate seedbeds, uproot and burn all infected plants soon after completely reaping tobacco to prevent spread of pathogens as there are currently no resistant varieties of tobacco against this disease.
The attack by angula in tobacco crops affects the quality and weight of the leaf as well as puts pressure on the farmer to harvest the crop before maturity.
Tobacco sales reached US$19,4 million in the first week of the 2023 selling season, which was an 11,83 percent drop from the comparable period in 2022 when sales stood at US$22 million.
According to Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) statistics, a total of 6 648,261 kilogrammes of tobacco valued at US$19 474,002 went under the hammer within the first six days of the selling season.
This comes as an estimated 8,5 percent growth in tobacco output of 230 million kilogrammes is expected this year, compared to 212 million kilogrammes last year.
The trend is being cited as a reflection of increased interest by the small and large scale growers in venturing into the capital intensive, but viable tobacco growing industry.
Tobacco land use grew to 117 000 hectares this year from 110 000 hectares in 2022, according to industry statistics. The industry also saw an increase in the number of tobacco farmers to 148 527 this year from 123 000 in 2022.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board is anticipating increased business activities during this year’s ongoing marketing season.
Zimbabwe exports 98 percent of its tobacco in raw form, thus realising a paltry US$1 billion out of a possible US$15 billion that the golden leaf fetches on the global market.
