TIMB Launches National Fire Prevention Campaign

Rutendo Mazhindu - ZimNow Reporter

The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has intensified fire management efforts aimed at protecting the country’s growing tobacco woodlots as part of its broader sustainability and afforestation drive.

The initiative, launched on 30 May in Mvurwi, Mashonaland Central, is part of a nationwide campaign following the 2025 Fire Season launch held on 8 May under the theme, “Prevent Veld Fires – Protect Our Environment.”

Led by TIMB’s Sustainability Unit and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) officers, the campaign involves hands-on training for tobacco farmers and communities on fire preparedness, fuel load assessments, firebreak inspections, and early detection methods across the four tobacco-growing provinces: Manicaland and Mashonaland Central, East, and West.

“Our afforestation gains must be protected if we are to realise a greener and more resilient tobacco industry,” said TIMB Acting Chief Executive Officer **Mr Emmanuel Matsvaire**. “It’s not enough to plant trees, we must ensure they survive. And that means taking veld fire management seriously.”

The TIMB has been promoting the establishment of fast-growing tree woodlots to reduce pressure on indigenous forests by creating sustainable sources of fuelwood for tobacco curing. However, the high flammability of these species has raised the need for aggressive fire prevention.

Mr Matsvaire said the Board is working to equip farmers with knowledge and tools to protect the plantations and surrounding communities. “We are not only protecting trees,” he said. “We are protecting Zimbabwe’s future, one woodlot at a time.”

The campaign supports the **Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan and aligns with National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1)**. TIMB has also pledged support to the Diplomatic Green Legacy Tree Planting Programme**, recently launched at the Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK), aimed at promoting the planting of fast-growing, indigenous, and fruit-bearing trees.

The fire management efforts are also seen as enhancing rural resilience and biodiversity, while improving rural incomes through long-term environmental investments.

TIMB is urging all growers to implement fire prevention measures, including maintaining fireguards, clearing dry biomass, and activating community response systems, as the 2025 fire season gets underway.