Close to 32 000 ha of tobacco planted in Zim

Harare (New Ziana) – Farmers have so far planted 31 681 hectares of dryland and irrigated tobacco in the 2023/24 summer cropping season, almost five percent up from 30,286 recorded during the same period last year, the crop’s regulator said on Wednesday.

Statistics released by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) show that Mashonaland East province topped the list with 11 374 hectares having been planted, while Midlands province had the least at 29 hectares of dryland tobacco.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere said dryland tobacco planting had slowed down because of the late rains.

“To date, a total of 31 681 hectares of tobacco have been planted, representing a 4.6 increase above last year during the same period,” he said.

In a weekly update, TIMB said 109,061 growers have registered so far in preparation for the upcoming season.

Mashonaland Central has the highest number of registered growers at 50 965, followed by Mashonaland West which has 50 799 farmers who registered to grow and sell tobacco.

TIMB said 93 percent of the registered growers were under contract.

The total number of growers for the 2023/24 cropping season compares to 144,434 growers who had registered during the same period last year.

According to TIMB, a total of 40 contractors have registered, with an indicative area contracted at 148 000 hectares.

Tobacco is the country’s second largest foreign currency earner after gold. Farming of the golden leaf is arguably one of the success stories of agriculture in the post-land reform era.

At least 98 percent of the locally produced tobacco is, however, exported in semi-processed form and calls are growing for value to the crop.

New Ziana