The Zimbabwean visited the floors to find out how farmers spend their days when they come to sell their produce. For some, a lot still needs to be done. They believe decentralization of the floors is the answer to many of their problems – notable woes being transport expenses, lack of sleeping facilities and theft.
“Life at the floors has changed for the better. We used to sleep in a huge tent when we came to sell our produce. There was no registration of tobacco farmers until the booking system to come to the floors recently,” said Christine Chihota (37) a farmer from Hurungwe in Karoi who had come to Boka Tobacco Floors recently. “There is now a big hall where women sleep while men utilise the upstairs apartment during the night. There are also properly built bathrooms in which women can bath,” she said.
“The registration and booking system has ushered orderliness and efficiency in conducting of action business at the floors as there is no longer congestion,” Chihota added.
In 2011 the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board introduced a registration system, whereby a farmer pays $10 fee for a grower’s number ahead of the farming season so that it is known that they are planting tobacco. A farmer who is not registered is not accepted at the floors and $50 is charged for late registration.
Farmers come to the floors through a booking system designed to avoid congestion. The system also allows TIMB to monitor and gather statistics about the tobacco farmers.
Hazel Chibande (35), another farmer at BTF, lamented the lack of seclusion of where women sleep and men’s ablution facilities.
“We sleep on the ground floor and men access their toilets through our room and you can imagine a drunken man passing through while women are sleeping with children in the middle of the night,” she said. “But I commend BTF for establishing a site-clinic at the floors which can assist us medically in times of need and can then call for ambulance if a patient gets worse.”
In 2011 two babies were delivered at BTF and this forced the officials to find ways to provide emergency services at the floors.
In Zimbabwe there are currently three tobacco auction floors – BTF, Tobacco Sales Floor and Premier Tobacco Floor. Millennium Tobacco Floor failed to acquire an operational license for this season as they failed to meet basic requirements. There are 14 tobacco contractors who provide farmers with inputs on condition they buy the tobacco grown at an agreed rate.
A farmer identified as Amai Marambe at Tobacco Sales Floor commended security at the floor. “The women and children sleep in their own wing and from 8pm men are restricted to their place and the canteen where beverages and restaurant facilities operate 24 hours. As women we are also allowed to go and buy,” she said.
A visit to the canteen revealed that there is also a television set and radio including benches where people can sit while eating, being entertained or asleep.
Chamunorwa Vincent, a farmer from Dunstan Farm in Goromonzi, said life at the floors has become entertaining. “These auction floors are quickly turning into malls. They (business opportunists) know that when we come here we make a lot of money and there are now hardware, flea markets, car sales, restaurants, police post and everything inside the floors and I commend that,” he said.
“This limits movement of farmers around the capital city that is full of thieves. There is a cloak-room where we leave our goods and one can move around empty-handed.” At TSF there are bathing facilities with showers and toilets both for men and women.
Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board, Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Matibiri is on record saying tobacco growers’ registration increased by 90 percent this season, an indication that the golden leaf is gaining popularity amongst farmers.
“In 2011-2012 season only 28,808 farmers grew the crop while by close of registration in December last year over 54,482 growers were registered,” he said.
Post published in: News