Bulawayo, (New Ziana) — The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) said on Monday Zimbabwe must urgently accelerate the crop’s value addition, as the 2026 season has delivered the highest tobacco production in the country’s history, but at sharply lower prices.
TIMB board chairperson, Patrick Devenish said this at the opening of the two-day Parliamentary Oversight and Industry Forum which brought together the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, growers, contractors, merchants, auction floors, processors and development partners.
Devenish said the forum’s theme, “Strengthen Regulation, Grower Viability, Industry Competitiveness and Value Addition,” was chosen because volume alone no longer guaranteed viability.
“Zimbabwe cannot fully realise the economic potential of tobacco by concentrating only on the production and export of leaf. We must progressively increase the proportion of value retained within our borders through primary and secondary processing, cigarette manufacturing, cut-rag production, nicotine extraction and the development of other tobacco and alternative products,” he said.
“Value addition creates employment, expands the tax base, promotes industrialisation and increases export earnings. It also creates new opportunities for investment, technology transfer and skills development,” he said.
Devenish said the crop’s output last season showed Zimbabwe had now recorded its highest-ever tobacco production in history.
TIMB confirmed the 2026 season closed with more than 357 million kg, surpassing the previous record of 354.8 million kg set in 2025, with some tallies putting the final crop at 358.33 million kg.
Despite the milestone, earnings were eroded by increased global supply, larger carry-over stocks and weaker international demand, which drove down prices down from about US$3.30 last year to US$2.49 this year.
“A record crop is not enough if the grower does not retain a viable return after meeting the costs of seed, fertiliser, chemicals, labour, energy, curing and transport,” Devenish said.
He said effective regulation remains critical.
“Effective regulation provides the trust upon which the entire industry depends. It protects growers, promotes fair competition, supports tobacco traceability, strengthens contractual accountability and safeguards the reputation of Zimbabwean tobacco in international markets,” he said, calling for modernisation of the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Act.
Devenish said Bulawayo was a fitting venue as it affirms an inclusive, decentralised industry, citing growing participation of Matabeleland farmers through Natural Cured Virginia and Burley.
Tobacco is Zimbabwe’s single largest agricultural export and one of the country’s top foreign currency earners alongside gold and platinum. The country is Africa’s largest tobacco producer and among the top six globally.
On the other hand, China is Zimbabwe’s largest export market, accounting for 34 percent of export volumes this year.
The crop is traditionally grown in Mashonaland West, Central, East and Manicaland, but production is expanding into Midlands, Masvingo and Matabeleland under contract farming.
More than 150,000 growers are registered under TIMB, supporting over three million livelihoods. The sector is central to the government’s Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan II, which targets 500 million kg by 2030 and building a US$7 billion tobacco industry through enhanced local financing, productivity and local value retention.
TIMB, which is marking 90 years of service this year, is the statutory regulator mandated to oversee production and marketing, enforce contract compliance and promote value addition.
New Ziana
