Kutsaga Executive Appointment

The Chairman and Board of Directors of the Tobacco Research Board (trading as Kutsaga) are delighted to announce the appointment of Mrs. Rhoda Mavuka as the inaugural Executive Director of the Productionand Operations sector. This appointment is with effect from 02 April 2024.

Mrs. Rhoda Mavuka is an experienced tobacco scientist who has worked at the Tobacco research Board for 19 years. She started as a Research Officer in 2004, was promoted to Team Leader in 2015, and then assumed the role of Head of the Crop Production and Molecular Technologies (CPMT) Division in 2018. As Head of CPMT, she was responsible for leading research into sustainable crop management techniques as well as providing accurate and timely molecular diagnostic and characterisation services for pests, diseases, and plant genotypes. She played a pivotal role in the commercialization of the production of Irish seed potatoes and horticultural seedlings, particularly sweet potatoes for the Presidential Rural Development Program. She also provides advisory services on pesticide management regulations to horticultural growers and the tobacco industry in Zimbabwe, the region, and internationally.

Mrs. Mavuka holds an MPhil in Crop Science from the University of Zimbabwe and a BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences from Midlands State University. She is pursuing a DPhil in Conservation Agriculture from the Chinhoyi University of Technology. Besides, she has business credentials from the Project Management Institute of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Institute of Management, including a Certificate of Competency in Project Management and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Pesticide Risk Management from the University of Cape Town. She currently serves as the Lead scientist for the Co-operation Centre for Scientific Research Related to Tobacco (CORESTA) Bio- Subgroup a grouping of more than 42 nations and is also a member of the CORESTA Agrochemical Advisory Committee.

Rhoda is married to Solomon, and they have three children. Tivakudze, Kudakwashe, and Taonanyasha. We wish her the best as she joins the Kutsaga executive team in implementing the Agricultural and Food Systems Transformation Strategy and the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Strategy, critical elements of NDS1 in pursuit of Vision 2030.