Tobacco farming not profitable – cries Kaoma farmer, Nefuno Sundano

By Derrick Sinjela

Teething challenges associated with tobacco growing marked by poor profits, deforestation and health risk posed on growers forced 48-year -old Nefuno Sundano to switch to other crops after a near death encounter.

After graduating with a Certificate in Agriculture from Zambia College of Agriculture (ZCS) in Monze, Southern Province in 2003, Mr. Sundano, relocated to Mongu in the Western Province.

When his father bought a 160 heactares Mubula farm in Kaoma, Western Province, Sundano again moved and started his long journey in agriculture in the Tobacco Board of Zambia (TBZ) area.

Now married to 41-year-old Kasilo Nyambe- Sundano, and with a set of twins (girls) in Grade 11 and a 9-year-old Grade four (4) boy, Sundano explained in a telephone interview with this author that tobacco growing is not a profitable venture.

Sundano laments that most if not all persons (farmers) grafted into growing tobacco do not have access to protective clothes, footwear, and respiratory masks thus impairing their individual health due to chemicals and the toxic nature of growing, grading and curing of the green leaf.

Looking back, Sundano said he will not encourage anyone to venture into growing tobacco as his four (4) year experience (2010 – 2013) left him traumatised health-wise as he had to be evacuated to Mongu General Hospital, and spent two months recuperating from an ailment diagnosed as infection the lungs.

Further, Sundano recollected that to cure a tobacco harvest on a three acre peace of land, one annually needs to fetch and cut trees on a four (4) acre woodland.

Sundano says while a farmer may earn K30, 000, loan deductions completely reduce the amount as US1, 000 inputs allocation is calculated at K29 to one US dollar, leaving a household with a paltry K1, 000 as profit.

“I was in tobacco growing for four years, as this crop is labour intensive, forests are being depleted rapidly, profits are equally not good as the prices are still below five United States dollars and an average bale varies between 90 cents and One united States dollar,” noted Nefuno.

Since recovering in 2014 to-date, 11 years later Sundano is comfortable growing maize, soya bean, sunflower, ground nuts, sweet potatoes and paprika. – Rainbow Newspaper Zambia Limited (RNZL).