The President

Mr Wonder Chabikwa, The Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union President in pictures.

tobacco cheating unearthed

Mr. Wonder Chabikwa. ZCFU president

Hundreds of tobacco bales have been rejected and held by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board after it emerged that some unscrupulous farmers are now putting foreign objects inside to boost weight and dupe auctioneers.


ZBC News visited Boka Tobacco Auction Floors where hundreds of bales have been rejected after bricks, stones, and metal bars were discovered in them.

The foreign matter would be covered by quality tobacco.

The president of the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union, Mr Wonder Chabikwa warned farmers against such acts saying it is criminal and amounts to fraud.

Chabikwa said such dishonesty compromises the confidence that the international market has on the local tobacco crop.

According to ZBC news, one farmer whose crop had been withdrawn from the sales refuted the allegations, but instead accused the TIMB officials of swindling the farmers through the rejection process.

According to the TIMB regulations, any farmer who is caught cheating is fined $20 before he is allowed to regrade his crop for resale. source: ZBC

Draft agric policy announced

The Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development has come up with a draft agriculture policy to improve the overall competitiveness of the sector, Minister Joseph Made has said.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Principal Director, Livestock and Veterinary Services, Dr Unesu Obatolu Ushewokunze, at the Combined Livestock Symposium held recently, Minister Made said the  policy document was focussed on raw material availability, productivity, animal health, marketing efficiency and trade facilitation among other things.

He said the draft policy promotes mutually beneficial contract farming arrangements to help farmers grow key food and feed crops such as maize and soyabeans.  
“My ministry strives to continue improving the management of raw material imports by industry players to ensure efficient and cost-effective raw material acquisition,” he said. He added that the policy also supports improvement in training, research and extension through the Department of Research and Specialist Services, Pig Industry Board, agricultural colleges and universities among others.
Officers from the ministry are expected to collaborate with various private sector institutions to equip livestock farmers with knowledge and skills.  
Minister Made said the draft policy proposes an active role by the ministry in ensuring surveillance, prevention and response to disease outbreaks.
This is aimed at strengthening the Veterinary Services Department in supporting production, productivity competitiveness and sustainable livestock production. Through its departments and parastatal, the ministry is aiming at improving efficiency of the agricultural market system.
“We would like to ensure an efficient and fairness under a liberalised marketing system and as part of the marketing policy, the ministry is committed to value addition of all primary produce to boost the impact of agriculture on the economy,” he said.
The draft policy also emphasises on improving trade in agricultural products through maintenance of liberal
export and foreign exchange polices, simplified agricultural trade regulations and negotiation of favourable bilateral agricultural trade agreements.
Source: Herald