Posted on 07/23/2015 4:32:47 PM PDT by dynachrome
For 15 years after Zimbabwe's agriculture sector collapsed in the face of President Robert Mugabe's seizure of white-owned farms to resettle landless blacks, the tobacco industry has been booming, with farmers funded by private firms to grow tobacco.
But this switch, coupled with the worst regional drought in nearly a decade, has left Zimbabwe in a precarious food situation. Many farmers have complained of low prices as the season ends while buyers argue the quality of the crop was poor.
"A number of farmers are crying foul over unsatisfactory (tobacco) prices," said Trevor Saruwaka, member of parliament for Mutasa Central in Manicaland.
"Those who make losses are condemned to poverty and starvation."
Most of Mabvumbe's tobacco was rejected because he cured it poorly and the little that was accepted fetched a low price. He borrowed $1,000 for tobacco seed, fertilizer and labor and now does not know how he will repay the loan.
"My tobacco came out dark in color, making it unacceptable," he said. "Tobacco farming has a lot of risks."
Anti-riot police were called to the auction floor in March as farmers protested over low prices.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Zim ping
They revamped their currency again, of course there will be some big problems
Maybe they could get help from their friends in the Progressive Paradise of Venezuela
And do Freepers know who buys that tobacco, preferentially vs US growers? Why, it’s RJ Reynolds tobacco in Winston Salem, NC. They get it cheaper (or apparently not at all, so that at least would favor the contract growers in NC and elsewhere in the US) from Zimbabwe, at least the past several years.
And all for a product the govt. will not say should be no longer sold— cause they love the tax money.
NC is the largest producer of tobacco in the US. CT is a tobacco growing state— mostly shade leaf wrappers for cigars.
VA produces a lot, also.
But they go to Zimbabwe to prop up Mugabe. Don’t ever forget who Dick Reynolds was... for years. He was the head financier for the DNC. The liberal demonrat party. He loved LBJ, and Carter and Teddy and the lot of them. Nice support of the plantation party with the taxes on an addictive product that destroys your lungs and/or mouth mucosa and esophagus.
Too bad, so sad, tough toenails. Be careful what you ask for in a leader who knows nothing about leading. Oops, that sounds too close to home.
How’ Mugabe’s genocidal Marxism working for you fools?
The white farmers were successful and you had work/money. Then you killed them, or supported the killing or exiling of them, and you got nothing.
If you want to kill someone, kill Mugabe, the Hitler of Zimbabwe.
According to current American ethics, growing tobacco is Naughty; they should be growing marijuana instead.
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