Zim set to value add tobacco-Minister

GOLDEN LEAF…Tobacco farmers in Mashonaland East province are set to reap more from the crop
following revelations by the Government that plans are underway to add value to the crop
MARONDERA- The Minister of Land, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development
Dr Anxious Masuka says Government is putting in place measures to ensure that the country
increases tobacco production and value add the crop prior to exportation.
He recently revealed this when he toured Sambok commercial farm in Marondera where
200 hectares were put under tobacco and is grown on a large scale.
Minister Masuka said with the country aiming to achieve a US$5 billion tobacco industry by
2025, it intends to add value to the crop before it is exported.
“As Government, we support tobacco production and we want to use the tobacco
transformation plan which we put in place. The aim is to increase the production from the
current 212 million kilogrammes annually to 300 million kilogrammes by 2025. Then the
next thing that we want to do is to ensure that there is more value addition and
beneficiation. We export 98 percent of our tobacco in raw form therefore we are exporting
jobs and value.
“In some estimates, they say that we produce more than 200 million kilogrammes of
tobacco and as it crosses the border, the same tobacco fetches US$15 billion and we only
get US$1 billion. Our tobacco is worth billions on the international market but as Zimbabwe
we only get US$1 billion. So Government has now put in place the transformation plan to
ensure that we increase the volume and also value add so that by 2025 we can have a US$5
billion industry.
“So we need our farmers to grow more tobacco because the markets are there.
Zimbabwean tobacco is exported to 60 countries and our tobacco is liked by a lot of people.
We need more of this flavour styled tobacco and we will continue to support our farmers,”
he said.
The manager of Sambok farm Arran Rutherford Taylor said they will continue growing
tobacco on a large scale and welcomed the Government’s plans to value add the crop.
In Mashonaland East Province, in terms of tobacco, the area planted as at December 24 is
19 215ha of which 7494ha is under irrigation while 11721ha is dry land.
This signifies a 12 percent increase from last year, same period where 17 121 ha was under
irrigation and 10105 ha on dry land.
Before his tour of Sambok farm, Minister Masuka visited several Pfumvudza/Intwasa
farmers in Ward 6, Marondera where he appreciated the effort by communal farmers in
Marondera district.