A farmer in Macheke, Regius Phiri, said the recent heavy rains that pounded the region flooded their tobacco fields and destroyed curing barns.
“Most people here lost their barns as they have been swept away. Most tobacco in the fields is not likely to do well due to too much water and the harvested crop is rotting,” he said.
A farmer in Marondera, Tererai Manyuchi, said most of the newly resettled farmers were using makeshift barns that were not durable.
“We have quite a number of new tobacco farmers and the majority of them made one line brick wall barns which easily collapse during floods,” he said.
Manyuchi said last week Manicaland and Mashonaland East received heavy rain that flooded most parts of the provinces.
Efforts to get a comment on the plight of the farmers from Chief Executive Officer of Tobacco, Industry and Marketing Board, Andrew Matibiri, were futile as his mobile was not reachable.
Post published in: News