Harare, (New Ziana)- Zimbabwe is expecting another record breaking output of tobacco this year, with sales on auction having already reached 264 million kilograms as of June 4, just 61 days after marketing opened.

According to the statistics released by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), cumulative sales already exceeded the 232 million kilograms sold in the whole of the 2024 marketing season.

The data show that the tobacco volume sold so far represents a 39.9 percent surge from 188.6 million kg that were sold by farmers during the same period in 2024.

The sales have earned farmers US$888.6 million, with the tobacco being sold at an average price of $3.37 per kg. This represents a 35.5 percent rise compared to the US$655.8 million grossed during the same period last year.

The government remains optimistic that Zimbabwe will this year produce 300 million kilograms of the golden leaf, due to favorable rains and increased production by smallholder farmers.

Tobacco remains Zimbabwe’s largest agricultural export, providing a significant source of foreign currency for the country. Its production, however, comes at a great cost to the environment as farmers are responsible for a fifth of the total annual deforestation in Zimbabwe as they cut down trees to cure tobacco.

At least 10kg of wood is required to cure one kilogram of tobacco. According to TIMB, tobacco exports have so far generated US$381 million from the export of 62.3 million kilograms of the semi-processed crop. The crop from Zimbabwe is exported to the Far East, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

New Ziana