Irritating noise, the chaos and congestion, which are characterized by tobacco marketing season for the past three years, now may be the story of the 2012 marketing season, provided a calm environment for farmers to run their business.
Visit the tobacco auction floors Agriculture Financial Gazette revealed that there were four floors of the auction with perennial problems that have been poisoned by tobacco marketing season.
Unauthorized traders, who have always contributed to the chaos and congestion associated with the auction floors were removed, there are police stations in the auction floors to solve all the cases is justified.
All four floors of operating Boca tobacco auction floor, ground floor sales of tobacco products, tobacco Millennium floors and floors of prime tobacco, built clinics that are staffed by qualified personnel, and dining rooms, which provide adequate and hot meals for the farmers.
Most farmers have expressed satisfaction with the prices offered on the floor, and a good marketing environment created by the tobacco industry and the marketing board and said that they would like prices may continue to firm as the quality of the leaves better.
However, this has not happened in the past few seasons, where instead of firming, prices weakened, as the season progresses.
A farmer from Hurungwe, Melody Mamire, said that the situation has changed radically and for the benefit of farmers.
“Over the years we have been dealing with unscrupulous dealers, thieves and prostitutes, the usurpation of our husbands, and many of us have lost money and health on the road, but this year things are different. We live in a world of marketing and fair is the predominant”
“There are traders do not affect us, and good accommodation was provided on the floor. We can plan for peacefully without incidents such as theft,” Mamire said.
Another farmer in the century, Spencer Lunga, those farmers did not expect this situation to change or get out of control.
“If someone is selling at 0800 hours to 1000 hours of testing will be ready for collection. I brought 10 bales, and sold them at an average price of U.S. $ 4.05, however, farmers have complained that contractors pay them very low prices compared with the auction prices.
“I sold the bales on the floor of the sale of tobacco products in the U.S. $ 4.90 per kg and the same sheet is made from the same barn sold for 2.00 U.S. dollars per kilogram. Last year we had to deal with unwanted traders this year, contractors are taking more than their share. It’s not fair pricing for contractors, “Juliet of the Mugadzi Inyathi Mine, wept.
“As farmers, contractors charge us in the direction of marketing, but the reason we side of the market is that contractors are not fair. They break us. Agriculture is labor intensive business, and most of us use family labor. Buyers should offer good prices “Mugadzi said.
Mugadzi, who was a farmer for six years, was forced to sell 11 bales to repay its U.S. $ 1400 loan, although it would have cost her four bales to repay the loan if it had sold its bales through the auction system.
The upper leaf quality was purchased for an average price of U.S. $ 4, 71 per kg, the average quality of a sheet of U.S. $ 4, 22 per kg, and the low quality of the sheet of U.S. $ 3.31 per kg.
Ensuring proper maintenance of washing and wells at the auction floors have shown that the tobacco auction floors are ready to deal with cholera or typhoid disease in the event of the 2012 marketing season, as the city of Harare, was unable to control the outbreak of typhoid in October last year.
Kudakwashe Nyangombe, in Kara, who brought in five bales, was extremely pleased with the prices and relaxed atmosphere of tobacco marketing Boca floors.
“I sold four bales of U.S. $ 76 per kg, 4.21 U.S. dollars per kg, US4, 75 kg, 4.71 U.S. dollars per kg and 3.29 U.S. dollars per kilogram. This is a good price, and I I hope to return soon more bales. Despite the growing season was a difficult season, because some of us have had to re-plant because of the late rain, but the market prices are fair. ”
Franicis Marabada, of the century, brought in 32 bales, which were sold at an average price of U.S. $ 4.10 per kg, and expressed satisfaction that he got his check early and was preparing to return to the centennial.
“This year we paid early, so there’s no time to blend in with the prostitutes and merchants. We buy our food in town, and all of our materials are available in a single window is the auction floors,” said Marabada.
Last season, there was chaos at the auction floors where farmers were protesting against the poor prices that have fallen to as low as U.S. $ 0, 50 kg, because buyers ran out of money. Industry had to temporarily suspend the sale of tobacco products, as farmers refuse to sell their crop at such low prices.
This year’s auction floors with total capacity of sales 36,000 bales per day. The floors have the potential to sell the entire tobacco auction in less than 50 days, provided sales producers to book in advance to cancel the congestion.
