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[QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 23588, member: 2262"]
The Tobacco Industry Board wants better crops for next year's sales. It teaches farmers when to pick their leaves.

Some farms with water systems have started picking their first crops. The Board shared tips on social media about ripe tobacco leaves. Farmers should look for pale green or yellow colors. Ready leaves hang straight out from the plant. The leaves feel soft, and their tips turn yellow.

The Board warns farmers not to pick leaves early or late. They say this makes the crop less valuable. Farmers must pick leaves from the same part of the plant to keep things even.

Ivan Craig from the farm authority agrees. He tells farmers to wait for ripe leaves. Some leaves turn yellow from poor soil or rain damage. These leaves won't dry right and sell for less money.

Ripe tobacco shows clear signs. The color turns gold, and the leaf feels right. Green leaves aren't ready and won't dry well. Experts tell farmers to check the starch in leaves before picking.

The Board says good sorting starts before planting. Farmers need good land, the right plants, and proper care. How farmers grow and store their crops affects their value.

Zimbabwe's tobacco fields have grown to 120,106 hectares this January. People who farm without water keep planting. The country wants to grow 300 million kilos this year, bouncing back from last year's dry weather.

Teams check the fields to count plants and observe their growth. This helps predict how much tobacco Zimbabwe will produce.
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