Zimbabwe: Service Delivery At Tobacco Auction Floors Improves

SERVICE delivery at the country's four tobacco auction floors has vastly improved this year with selling of tobacco and the payment of farmers being completed before midday daily. A tour of the floors by The Herald yesterday showed that most farmers were selling their tobacco in the morning and receiving their payments well before noon and leaving for their various destinations.

Management at Boka Tobacco Floors and Premier Tobacco Auction Floors said the situation had significantly improved from last season, thanks to improved booking and handling systems.

"Transactions are more organised this time around. The majority of farmers are booking their tobacco well before they come here so they are not staying once their dates arrive.

"Banks also have been very supportive as we have had no cases of cash shortages that would have forced some farmers to spend a lot of time here," Premier managing director Mr Philemon Mangena said.

Boka chief executive Ms Rudo Boka said the floors' handling capacity and the co-operation of buyers and banks had also played a significant role.

Farmers from Chiendambuya and Rusape said they were happy with the way business was being conducted this season.

"Everything is being done well. We are getting served as soon as our booked dates arrive.

"Our only worry at the moment is the high incidence of re-graders who are fleecing us. They are charging between US$20 and US$25 to re-grade a bale of tobacco if the grading is adjudged to have been done poorly," complained one farmer.

Boka public relations manager Mr Alex Vokoto said his organisation had two authorised re-graders who charged between US$0,20 and US$0,25 per kilogramme to re-grade tobacco.

Other farmers, however, felt that the order prevailing at the floors could easily be eclipsed by chaos as the season progressed.

"The situation can change one day and I think the TIMB will have a hand in it. They are charging farmers a fine of US$50 for late renewal of the grower's licence when they bring their tobacco here.

"What this means is that the farmer may spend more time here trying to raise that money and in the interim, more farmers will be coming, which will create congestion," Mvurwi farmer Mrs Mavis Chandisaita said.

TIMB chief executive Dr Andrew Matibiri could not be reached for comment as his phone went unanswered.