Harare, (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and the Malawi Tobacco Commission have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in the tobacco sector, following high-level bilateral meetings in Harare on Wednesday.
The permanent secretary in the Ministry, Obert Jiri, praised recent progress in the country’s tobacco production, attributing success to the implementation of the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Strategy introduced in 2020.
He emphasized the increasing role of smallholder farmers, now contributing up to 70 percent of the national crop, citing improvements in both yield and quality. “Production is now right, and the quality from smallholder farmers has been very impressive. We must now focus on processing, value addition, and beneficiation,” Jiri said, highlighting plans to reduce raw tobacco exports and focus on local cigarette manufacturing.
Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector has seen significant growth with the government ambitiously targeting production volumes of up to 400 million kilograms in the near future. This follows the successful implementation of regulatory measures by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), which Dr. Jiri credited for bringing order to the marketing system, curbing side-selling, and maintaining a fair licensing regime.
Meanwhile, Malawian officials commended Zimbabwe’s regulatory model and strategic direction. “You can’t talk tobacco without talking about Zimbabwe. You are the pace-setters in Africa.”
New Ziana
