Elevated excitement over the economic boom in Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector is reason to celebrate believes Hamond Motsi, a preparatory PhD scholar at the faculty of agrisciences at Stellenbosch University. He shares why the model used for this success should be evaluated and replicated for other crops.
In one of my previous articles published in FoodForAfrika.com titled “Zimbabwe agriculture gains momentum”, I illustrated the reoxygenation of the agriculture sector of Zimbabwe after long-term pessimism about its productivity.
This alludes to the criticised and disputed land reform programme that transpired two decades ago when minority white farmers were controversially replaced by majority black farmers, who, by then, lacked knowledge and experience in farming.
Fruits are starting to ripen
Prior to this contentious rearrangement, there was a dramatic disarray and decline in the entire agricultural production chain. However, the fruits of this revolution are presently starting to ripen.
The Tobacco Industry Marketing Board (TIMB), the governing board controlling and regulating the growth, marketing, and export of tobacco in Zimbabwe, recorded a total quantity of 294,743,679 kilograms subsequently to the closure of the 2022/2023 marketing season at the end of July, which is a new historic record in the tobacco industry since the beginning of its cultivation in the early 1900s.
The marketing season saw the green light earlier this year, in March, with the lowest and highest prices of US$0.10 and US$6.10, respectively, per kg. The average price for the entire season was US$3.03 and the total revenue reached US$892,954,154.
This breaking record blast came after the launch of the government’s Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Strategy in 2021, which targets a goal to achieve yearly production of 300 million kilograms with the aim of reaching US$5 billion tobacco industry, increasing the value chain from 2% to 30% by 2025.
For this year, the target was to reach 230 million kilograms, but it seems the road to the 300 million kilograms goal was outmanoeuvred. Previously, the annual average production has gradually grown to slightly above 200 million kilograms, with an annual revenue of nearly US$1 billion, and the last record set was in 2019, which was 261 million kilograms.
Zimbabwe fetches lucrative price
Several factors may have contributed to this exciting record. However, the most contributing factor could be favourable, and excess rains received during the season, although they came late. Another factor could be the rise in contract farming, which is being enhanced by contracting firms, especially those from China.
Roughly 95% of tobacco is cultivated under contract farming, and approximately 274 million kilograms are sold under contract farming this year. These companies offer farmers partial to full input packages, and they have closed the overwhelming gap in securing inputs, mostly imminent to smallholder farmers.
In addition, investments have been made to improve tobacco varieties that are compatible with specific local climate conditions. Credit for varieties improvement can be given to the Tobacco Research Board (TRB), which is the research wing of TIMB.
More than 80% of tobacco is produced by smallholder farmers, amounting to over 160 000 farmers cultivating in small areas. This shows the commitment and efforts of these farmers as primary stakeholders in the agriculture sector to reverse the pessimistic view of Zimbabwe’s agriculture.
With smallholder farmers as primary producers, Zimbabwe is the largest producer of this crop in Africa, followed by Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia. Additionally, Zimbabwe is competitive globally and rubs shoulders with the top five global giants’ producers of this crop: Brazil, China, the USA, and India.
The tobacco produced in Zimbabwe fetches a lucrative price on the international market due to its premium quality resulting from favourable production conditions found in the country. Approximately 2% of the total tobacco produced is left for local processing and consumption, while the rest is destined for several countries.
The most common destinations are China, South Africa, Indonesia, Belgium, and the United Arab Emirates, followed by various European countries.
Challenges require attention
Although this milestone is a welcoming gesture in the country’s agricultural sector, there is still room for improvement, especially to ensure and maintain the targeted goal of reaching 300 million kilograms. The major avenue that requires attention is pricing. Most smallholder farmers complain about the “price nepotism” that higher pricing is mainly favoured by commercial or white farmers because their tobacco is deemed instantly of higher quality than that produced by smallholder farmers.
Adjustment of such an issue to an equilibrium point, where both parties’ benefits are critical for motivating farmers to cultivate this crop continuously. Most farmers I met who had previously cultivated tobacco and stopped always gave a reason for unfair pricing, given their efforts after an overwhelming workload throughout the season.
Another looming challenge faced by farmers is the delayed distribution of inputs. Farmers complain that inputs arrive late in the season after their critical required period surpasses, especially fertilisers, and chemicals for pests, and diseases. Conversely, contracting companies refute this matter by stating that farmers sell inputs for other personal use if they are distributed earlier.
The last critical factor that requires attention is the energy source and use during the tobacco-curing stage. Smallholder farmers normally cut down trees for use as firewood in the curing process, as a source of energy. This has led to unprecedented deforestation in forestry, which holds various native trees that are difficult to replace.
Coal is a prescribed source for the tobacco curing process, but it is currently unaffordable for smallholder farmers and raises criticism from climate change activists. Thus, there is a need for dialogue that can address the sustainable production pathway for this crop.
The tobacco model shows promise
In conclusion, the tobacco breakthrough reached this year in Zimbabwe portrays a bright picture of the commitment of all stakeholders affiliated with this sector and the continuous significance of agriculture in the socio-economic affairs of African countries, which is something that should be applauded.
However, there is a need for wisdom to evaluate the model used for this success and extend it to other crops for the overall success of the country’s agricultural sector.
- Hamond Motsi is a Preparatory PhD scholar at the faculty of agrisciences atStellenbosch University, interested in sustainable agriculture and agricultural development in Africa. He holds an MSc in agronomy (cum laude) from Stellenbosch University, a BSc Hons in crop science, and a BSc in crop and soil science (cum laude), both from the University of Fort Hare. You can contact him at onehammond2@gmail.com. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Food For Mzansi.
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