Vendors benefit from tobacco farmers

Yvonne Mutava
  
The tobacco marketing season is characterized by a lot of activities outside the selling of the golden leaf.

Most of the activities are beneficial to the economy whilst others are illicit. 

As a result, it is not only tobacco farmers who look forward to the season as informal traders also make a windfall during this time through selling food and other wares required by tobacco growers.

A food vendor, Doreen Muteremuka (27) said during the marketing season she experiences brisk business at the auction floors compared to off season when she sells sadza in Harare,s Mbare high density suburb for a small profit.

She said the tobacco marketing season is a stepping stone for most vendors.

“The marketing season presents us with an opportunity to make money through selling different wares to the farmers.

  
“Whilst during the season I can sell an average of 75 plates at a dollar per plate, during the off season sometimes we get so desperate to the extent of selling a plate for 50 cents," Muteremuka said.

She added “Not all the days are the same at the floors but there is always a reasonable demand for our services and wares and every single day is better than in Mbare.

“At the floors we always have something to take home.

  
“I have been selling food at the floors for the last three years and every year we look forward to the tobacco marketing season.

  
“We plan the year with the marketing season in mind we hope to do better each year.

  
“I have managed to buy household property using money i made from on- season sells, something which I could never have done if I only operated in Mbare."

She urged other young women to identify similar opportunities and make money. 

Another vendor only identified as Mai Ropa said the tobacco marketing season is not only important to farmers, but to everyone who was born with business in mind.

“This season had been great.There are more farmers hence an increase in the demand for food. 

“Unlike in previous seasons where we played cat and mouse with council authorities, this season we were licensed and given places to operate from where we in turn pay rent. We find this very convenient. 

“I usually run my business in Highfields Machipisa but the returns are not as pleasing as I get here.

  
“On a good day I make $200, something which is plausible. Not in my wildest dream can I make such money in Machipisa, not even in two days.

  
“We all look forward to the marketing season," she said.

Most vendors who sell different wares during the tobacco marketing season at auction and contract floors have seen this period as the time to fulfill their dreams.

  
After twenty six days of the marketing season, growers of the golden leaf have been paid $170million dollars after delivering 62million kilograms compared to $136million that had been paid out to farmers by the same time last year after they had delivered 49million kilograms.

  
The average price on the auction floors is $2.72 whilst on the contract floors it is $2.73 

For additional Information contact
TIMB on telephone numbers 08677004624/6 or 0772145166/9 or 0279-22082/21982 or 025-3439 or 067-24268/29246 or 0277-2700 or 064-7280 or 0271-6772 or Toll Free Numbers 08006003 / 0731999999 / 0712832804 or WhatsApp 0731999999 or E-mail: info@timb.co.zw

Wrapper determines cigar quality, flavour

Yvonne Mutava 

Smokers who have tasted Burma Valley cigars regard them as exceptional and Mr Edmondson, a Von Eicken’s buyer noted at the start of the Cigar wrapper tobacco marketing season.

Von Eicken, a Germany company is making cigars from wrappers, binders and fillers from Burma Valley thereby making them hundred percent Zimbabwean cigars.

  

The aim for farmers is to produce wrappers, which is the most expensive component of the cigar.

What fails to make it to the class of the wrapper becomes a binder or a filler.

The wrapper determines the quality, character and taste of a cigar and is considered to determine 60- 90% of the cigar’s overall flavor.

Consequently, more attention should be put in monitoring the cigar wrapper tobacco crop.
   
In previous seasons, Burma Valley farmers grew the cigar wrapper in direct sunlight, the contracting company this season availed shade cloths underneath which the premium cigar wrapper tobacco can be grown. 
   
The difference between wrappers that are grown beneath a shade and those grown in direct sunlight is, cigar wrappers that are grown under a shade have a premium smooth surface whilst those grown in direct sunlight are oily, often coarse and sweeter.

Cigar wrapper tobacco leaves are harvested and aged using a process that combines use of heat and shade to reduce sugar and water content without causing the leaves to rot.

The first part of the process, called curing, takes between 25- 45 days and varies substantially.

It is also based on climatic conditions as well as the construction of shades or barns used to store harvested tobacco.

  

The curing process is manipulated based upon the type of tobacco, and the desired color of the leaf.

The second part of the process, called fermentation is carried out under conditions designed to help the leaf dry slowly.

Temperature and humidity are controlled to ensure that the leaf continues to ferment, without rotting or disintegrating.

Cigar wrappers are fermented separately from other rougher cigar components, with a view to produce a thinly- veined smooth supple leaf.

 

The flavor, dark burnt color and aroma characteristics are primarily assigned on the leaf at this stage. 

Once the leaves have aged properly, they are sorted for use as wrapper, binder or filler based upon their appearance and overall quality.

Binders normally come from the bottom part of the plant where leaves are thicker, have more strength and less flavor hence they are used to keep the filler together.

While they are the lowest grade of tobacco within a cigar, the binders can be blended to bring about flavor, complexity and strength to the cigar.

Fillers can be from any part of the plant as the top parts of the plant have great aroma and flavor while bottom parts have the best burning properties hence the need to blend to achieve desired taste and optimum burning qualities.

During the fermentation process, leaves are continually moistened and handled carefully to ensure each leaf is best used accordingly to its individual qualities.

The leaf will continue to be baled, inspected, un-baled, re-inspected, and baled again repeatedly as it continues the aging cycle.

This process can take up to eight months before the leaf is considered mature and meets the manufacturer’s specifications for use in cigar production. 

It is the third season now since Zimbabwe had ventured into growing cigar wrapper tobacco replacing burley tobacco which had ceased its operations in 2011.

It is very overwhelming to note that Zimbabwe has become the third African country after Cameroon and Kenya to produce the high valued crop.

The first and second season were a pilot project where few hectares were grown as part of the experiment.

This season 20 hectares of cigar wrapper have been grown as well as three hectares of burley and the first bale of the sale was sold for $6 per kg.

Burma Valley was chosen for the pilot owing to its lucid climatic conditions, which are suitable for the growth of cigar tobacco.

For additional Information contact
TIMB on telephone numbers 08677004624/6 or 0772145166/9 or 0279-22082/21982 or 025-3439 or 067-24268/29246 or 0277-2700 or 064-7280 or 0271-6772 or Toll Free Numbers 08006003 / 0731999999 / 0712832804 or WhatsApp 0731999999 or E-mail: info@timb.co.zw