Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Stakeholders in Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry have flagged suspected nomadic contracted farmers who receive inputs and sideline sponsors thereby fuelling side marketing in the multi-million-dollar tobacco industry, an investigation has revealed.
An investigation by NewsDay has exposed some companies claiming “trust” on behalf of defaulting farmers with a chain of debts owed to several contractors with the contracted farmers becoming elusive during the tobacco selling season. According to sources, some farmers have devised schemes whereby they get inputs from a company and disappear.
They said the contracted farmers end up selling the tobacco through relatives or friends.
“Mostly farmers get inputs from surrogate companies that do not have watertight schemes to guard against side marketing.
“These farmers are afraid to take loans from established companies that have loss control departments run mostly by retired law enforcement members who have the know-how to prosecute farmers,” sources said.
Central Association of Co-operative Union (Cacu), formed in 1974 to promote agriculture marketing and supplies stands accused of allegedly accommodating farmers with a dark past, according to the investigation.
“Cacu recruited farmers that migrate from one contractor to the other annually using different grower’s numbers that has affected some contractors who gave them inputs but the farmers went on to sell the tobacco to other merchants,” sources said.
Premier Tobacco Auction Floor executive director Owen Peter Murumbi confirmed the tension between Cacu and his company.
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