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Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board in conjunction with the Farmers Development Trust have started preparing for the 2016 tobacco marketing season through theoretical and practical training of farmers to equip them with basic agronomic practices that give the high quality crop required by the market.

This comes after farmers complained of low prices at the auction floors while on the other hand merchants complained of poor quality.

The training covers theory and practical lessons on all important production stages from the seedbed to presentation of the crop for the market.

The board is also teaching farmers about nesting (including foreign material in the bale to increase weight), side marketing and paying auction floor workers with the intent to influence prices.

Speaking at a recent training at Nyamazura Training Centre, TIMB Manicaland regional manager Mr Emmanuel Matsvaire said the training was being offered to both new and old farmers.

“We have 62 farmers on the training programme. The training is free and has been benefiting most farmers who attend.

“There has been an improvement in the quality of the crop produced by farmers who attended the courses,” he said.

Mr Matsvaire said most farmers in Manicaland were having challenges grading their crop and presenting it for the market.

“The farmers still have some challenges in classifying the crop into different styles. We also want to enhance farmer-to-farmer training,” he said.

During the training farmers complained that they are forced into side marketing due to the way they are treated at the floors.

The farmers, however, said they are aware of the implications of side marketing on future production of the crop.

They said they side market because the inputs prices being offered by contractors were high while others said they paid workers at the auction floors in anticipation of high prices.

One of the participants Mrs Judith Mashayamombe said the training had enabled her to select the ideal seedlings, grade her crop and present it well for the market.