Online Reporter
Precious Manomano
Herald Reporter
THE Government is stepping up efforts to reposition Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry for long-term competitiveness by expanding export markets, promoting value addition and strengthening sustainability as global demand patterns continue to evolve.
Speaking at the International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA) conference in Harare yesterday, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Management Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said while the local tobacco industry recorded remarkable production growth over the past eight years, the next phase of development would depend on creating new markets and extracting greater value from the crop.
Dr Masuka said the country produced about 280 million kilogrammes of tobacco in 2017, while output this year is projected to reach between 380 million and 400 million kilogrammes, representing one of the fastest production growth rates among major tobacco-producing countries.
The Government, he said, remained on course to achieve its ambitious target of producing 500 million kilogrammes annually under the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan.
However, Dr Masuka said increased production has brought a new challenge, with international buyers increasingly questioning where the additional tobacco would be sold.
“We produced 280 million kilogrammes of tobacco in 2017 and this year we are predicting that we will have between 380 million and 400 million kilogrammes,” he said.
“We want to see tobacco production increase to 500 million kilogrammes, and each time Zimbabwe says this, buyers ask where the market will come from.”
Dr Masuka said Government is fully aware of the challenge and is implementing a comprehensive strategy to ensure increased production translates into higher export earnings rather than oversupply.
Central to that strategy is accelerating value addition, expanding access to new export markets and increasing local processing of tobacco into finished and semi-finished products.
Rather than exporting predominantly raw leaf, Zimbabwe is seeking to earn more from every kilogramme produced through cigarette manufacturing, cut-rag tobacco processing and other value-added products.
