By 
Local tobacco farmers who solely depend on the annual rains are counting losses as the golden leaf seedlings have started wilting in seedbeds owing to the current heat wave.
Temperatures have been steadily increasing in most parts of the country with rains remaining elusive, dampening famers’ prospects amid depleting pastures for livestock and drying dams, especially in the southern region.
The Zimbabwe Tobacco Growers Association has noted that the current heat wave has left a number of farmers counting their losses.
“The current heat wave being experienced across the country has left farmers counting heavy losses,” said a representative from ZTGA.
“The Meteorological Service Department of Zimbabwe (MSDZ) had this to say, “Over the past few days there have been clear a sky as opposed to clouds and this is what has caused the heat wave”.
The country’s economy is agro-based and tobacco is one of Zimbabwe’s major foreign currency earners. Tobacco is a mainstay of the country’s economy and one of the biggest export earners. There were high hopes that production will increase to 300 million kilograms by 2025.
Comments