BY Taurai Mangudhla ZIMBABWE should enjoy a decent harvest for all crops in the current season due to good rains that have been consistent in the past few weeks, farmers’ organisations say. A good harvest for cereals would ease pressure on the national purse which has been strained by maize and wheat imports. Zimbabwe, with over half of its population food insecure, is spending around US$46 million a month on imports of cereals and crude oil, according to latest central bank figures following years of successive droughts and reduced production by farmers due to lack of capital. For cash crops, especially tobacco which is the number one agricultural export for the country and is among the top foreign currency earners, it means more foreign receipts. For tobacco farmers, the good rains are positive news and point to a better harvest than prior year, barring unforeseen negative factors. Zimbabwe Tobacco Association CEO Rodney Ambrose said the industry body was currently working on an updated crop assessment report for the sector, outlining the situation and prospects in line with developments in the current season. The report, which was expected to have been published by the end of last year, is being updated in light of the recent rains. “To be honest with you, we are actually in the process of doing another assessment because the report is a bit outdated now because of the rains that have come in the past plus or minus three weeks or so, it has changed a lot. So we are going to need a few more days to look into it,” Ambrose said. He, however, expressed optimism saying the rains are a positive for the sector. “They are good for the industry; we always need good rains so they are good for tobacco and other crops as well. “The rains will fill up the dams to be used for irrigation and also they are good for the late crop,” Ambrose said “This is definitely going to lift prospects for good ” Despite the good rains, tobacco output remains under threat as the sector is adversely affected by foreign currency shortages. Farmers are paid half their money in forex and the other part in local currency at the prevailing interbank rate that is always by far lower than parallel market rates. This has been a huge cost to farmers who procure most of their inputs in hard currency and often at above parallel market rates. Zimbabwe is the largest tobacco producer in Africa and sixth in the world. Tobacco accounts for about 10% of the country’s GDP and a significant chunk of employment. The 2020/21 tobacco season officially started in early September and by mid-September, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) reported an almost 60% slump in the number of registered farmers compared to last year apparently due to unfavourable payment arrangements during the 2019/20 season. According to TIMB statistics, 180,8 million kilogrammes valued at US$452,3 million were delivered at the country’s contract and auction floors by September 2020, the end of the tobacco marketing season. During the same period in 2019, 240 million kg valued US$47