Zimbabwe plantings down

Zimbabwe has less land under flue-cured tobacco this season than it had during the 2016-17 season, according to a story in The Herald.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) says that the 5.5 percent drop in tobacco hectarage was been caused by poor rainfall distribution.
In its latest crop assessment report compiled with Agritex after an assessment undertaken from January 22 to February 2, the TIMB said 104,397 ha were put under tobacco this season compared to 110,518 ha last season.
The late onset of rains followed by a prolonged dry spell meant that the dryland crop was more affected than was the irrigated crop, which is now being harvested, cured and graded.
‘Most of the cured leaf is lemon to orange in color and of fair to good quality,’ said the TIMB. ‘Some of the farmers have already started grading. The average yield from this planting is expected to be around 2,300 kg per ha.’
The bulk of the dryland crop, which was planted from about the middle of October to the end of November, is now fully-grown. But because of the unhelpful weather, some farmers had to replant, which resulted in an uneven crop in some areas. The expected average yield is around 1,700 kg per ha.