Zimbabwean tobacco growers’ representatives are urging their constituents to grade their leaf carefully to boost earnings during the selling season, reports The Herald.
Key factors to consider during grading are plant position, color, quality, length and style, according to Zimbabwe’s tobacco research board, Kutsaga.
“Prices in the tobacco market are determined during the opening day of the auction floors and depend on the grades of the crop,” said Victor Mariranyika, president of the Tobacco Farmers’ Union Trust. “The grading process starts even before the crop is planted, with factors such as land selection, preparation, fumigation, fertilization, seedling selection, topping and suckering, reaping, curing and storage all influencing the outcome.”
While the tobacco plants are growing, the emerging leaves are categorized as prime, second and third, producing different colors during curing. Buyers pay more for certain colors and sizes.
“The current practice of using color as the primary matrix for selling tobacco has proven to be unprofitable for farmers. The prices tend to be lower than the production costs, indicating the need for a different approach,” said Mariranyika.
Tobacco Farmer Talk (TFT) WhatsApp group administrator Phineas Mukomberenwa announced an upcoming Kutsaga tour that will allow farmers to tour tobacco curing facilities and see grading, baling, tobacco presentation and the fundamentals of tobacco classification.
“By integrating grading and classification in the tour, TFT aims to equip growers who are still harvesting and struggling with curing with the knowledge while also assisting those ready for the market. The objective is to ensure that tobacco is graded accurately and presented in a manner that secures the best possible prices at the tobacco auction floors,” said Mukomberenwa.