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[QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 32604, member: 636"]
Kutsaga Research slashed prices on float trays from $2.40 to $2.10 each when farmers buy 87 or more. The discount applies only to the 200-cell model. Kutsaga Research wants to protect tobacco seedlings from harsh weather as part of a plan to boost the tobacco industry to $5 billion this year.

Float trays beat old-school methods hands down. They need way less space—just 16 square meters compared to 120 square meters for conventional beds. Water usage drops dramatically from 47,000 liters to about 6,500 liters per hectare. Farmers also save on chemicals and fertilizers, and the seedlings grow better after transplanting.

These modern trays cost about $300 per hectare upfront, but expenses fall below $100 later since they last five years with proper care. Many small farmers faced seedling shortages last season as water sources dried up during the El Niño drought. The government tried extending the seedbed destruction dates to January 15, but conventional seedbeds had already dried out.

Zimbabwe Tobacco Growers Association chairman George Seremwe said farmers might have planted record areas if not for irrigation problems. Kutsaga tried helping farmers with a 50% seedling price cut from $430 to $215 per hectare, but quickly ran out because demand was huge.
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