Reaping of irrigated tobacco starts
Farmers have started reaping and curing the early planted irrigated tobacco in most areas.
The crop is reported to be in good condition while the dryland crop in some areas has started showing signs of stress.
This comes as Manicaland is leading the tobacco planting list having increased the area under the cash crop by 59 percent.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union secretary-general Mr Paul Zakariya yesterday confirmed that farmers had started reaping.
“For the irrigated crop, reaping and curing of the first leaves (primes) has started. For the rain-fed, the growing season was delayed due to a late start of the rains and the crop is at three to four leaves,” said Mr Zakariya.
“Condition is fair to good. We hope the current moisture will spread to major tobacco growing areas.
“In some areas the crop was already suffering from moisture stress.”
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Dr Shadreck Makombe said farmers with dryland crop were finalising planting.
“The final planting for those that didn’t have enough resources is in finality. Most of small-scale crop is in the fourth to fifth week with six to nine leaves.
“For the medium to large scale farmers they have started curing and topping and the crop is big and looking good if the rains continue the quality will improve,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development ministry has revealed that Manicaland is leading the tobacco planting list.
According to the weekly crop update, farmers in Manicaland planted 20 866 hectares of tobacco compared to 13 087ha during the same period last year.
Mashonaland West planted 14 370 hectares registering a decline of 42 percent from the 24 703ha planted during the same period last year.
Farmers in Mashonaland Central planted 14 208ha, an 8 percent increase from the 13 108 ha planted last year, while Mashonaland East planted 8 172 ha compared to 8 165ha.
Midlands planted 180 hectares compared to 182 ha while no farmers in Masvingo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South planted tobacco this season.
In the last years, fewer farmers in these three provinces produced tobacco.-The Herald
