Story by Jerold Sasa
TOBACCO farmers in Marondera are ready for the 2024 marketing season, after producing quality crops expected to fetch high at the auction floors.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has announced tobacco auction and contract floors will open on the 13th and 14th of next month.
This has set in motion what is expected to be a successful marketing season with farmers in the Igava area of Marondera confident of delivering quality tobacco.
The farmers, told ZBC News at a field day to honour those who did well last season are confident of high returns.
“I have the confidence I will fetch the best price despite the erratic rains we received this season. We hope to fetch the best price from our contractor, “said one of the farmers, Ms. Faith Vakai.
She added, “Judging by what I delivered last season this year has to be the best even though the rains were not that impressive.”
The contractor also gave motorbikes to traditional leader Chief Svosve, whose area triggered the land reform programme and war veterans for being at the forefront of the process.
“We applaud our local company for honouring their traditional leaders something the whites never did,” said Chief Svosve.
“We are products of the land reform, so we appreciate what they did for us, and we are enjoying,” said tobacco contractor Mr Innocent Mahufe.
The country racked in 296 million kilogrammes of the golden leaf last year, narrowly missing the 300 million kilogramme target set by the government.
