The ManicaPost
Wimbainashe Zhakata Post Correspondent
Tobacco with an estimated an estimated value of $600 000 was shredded, just days before harvest, by a hailstorm that lashed Odzi areas recently. The intense storm shattered at least 30 hectares of irrigated crop along its path.
The worst affected were Dobropoulos Farm, owned by commercial farmer and tobacco grower Mr Peter Dobropoulos and Retired General Mike Nyambuya’s farm.
Both farms are in Odzi belt of Mutasa district and the cumulative damage was preliminarily estimated at $600 000.
The growers were agonising under the hail storm effect and insurers were still assessing the full extent of the cumulative losses.
As the rainfall lashed the area, farmers initially received it as a blessing, but the joy was short-lived after it suddenly dashed their hopes of a bumper harvest as the ripening crop was decimated completely.
The sensitive and flourishing tobacco leaves were shredded, pock-marked, ripped and pruned by hail stones.
The crop will not rebound.
Mr Dobropoulos told The Manica Post that he lost over $400 000 of first grade tobacco irrigated tobacco.
“I lost about $400 000 worth of tobacco. The tobacco was a complete write-off; it was a 100 percent loss.
“The crop was destroyed by a massive and intense hailstorm that lashed Odzi last week, and my insurance company is conducting an assessment and hopefully this week they will be done,” he said.
The provincial Agritex tobacco specialist Mr Douglas Nzarayebani also confirmed the reports of tobacco destruction.
“We have received reports from Mutasa district indicating that two distinctive tobacco growers — Mr Peter Dobropoulos and Rtd Gen Mike Nyambuya lost 20 and 10 hectares of high value ripening tobacco respectively. The crop was completely decimated.
“About 10 hectares of irrigated tobacco was destroyed at Rtd Gen Mike Nyambuya’s farm while 20 ha were lost at Mr Dobropoulos’ farm,” he said.
Mr Nzarayebani said the losses would certainly affect tobacco projections in the province.
“Unfortunately we are not going to get what we had projected, and in this scenario production has already gone down by 80 000kgs,” he said.
Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) spokesperson Mr Isheunesu Moyo said the board had received numerous reports of tobacco that had been destroyed by hailstorms nationwide and urged tobacco growers to insure their crop. Mr Moyo said the irri gated crop is the most affected because it matured before the rains.
“When the rains come, the irrigated crop is more prone to hailstorms in its final stages.
“TIMB is aware of the tobacco destructions by hailstorms and we advise the growers to insure their crop. Fortunately, most of the prominent farmers who lost their tobacco are insured. We are, however, worried that these losses will eventually affect the 2018/19 tobacco harvest projections,” said Mr Moyo.
