Zimbabwean farmers have so far planted 110 795 hectares of dryland and irrigated tobacco for the
2023/24 summer cropping season, reflecting a 6 percent decline from the 118 795 recorded during the same period last year, the industry regulator said on Monday.
Statistics released by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) show that Mashonaland West province topped the list with 139 952 hectares having been planted, while Masvingo province had the least at 17 hectares of dryland tobacco.
Late onset of rains delayed planting of dryland tobacco throughout the country.
In the weekly update, thev TIMB said 112 939 growers have registered so far in preparation for the 2024 tobacco selling season, down from the 147 794 who had registered during the same period last year.
Of the total number of registered growers, 63 270 are communal farmers.
The TIMB said 93 percent of the registered growers are contracted.
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.
In 2023, Zimbabwe recorded the highest tobacco output in almost 200 years as about 290 million kilograms were sold through both auction and contract systems.
At least 98 percent of the locally produced tobacco is, however, exported in semi-processed form and calls are growing for value to be added to the crop.
New Ziana
