Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter
THE Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has temporarily suspended at least 448 farmers from trading at the auction floors following suspicions of side-marketing. The suspended farmers are being accused of having used their grower numbers to trade at least five times in just 13 days since the beginning of the marketing season last month.
In a statement last week, TIMB said a close examination of the farmers’ activities exposed a breach of standards and procedures.
“The blocked grower numbers had sold tobacco five times or more in only 13 days of the 2023 tobacco marketing season,” reads part of the statement.
“It is irrational and cost-ineffective to bring 20 bales to market on a Monday then bring 10 on Wednesday and 15 on Friday the same week, only to bring similar amounts of tobacco in the following week.”
Technical teams will be dispatched for physical farm visits to verify and inspect if the farmers are legitimate growers.
“We are armed with SI (Statutory Instrument) 77 of 2022, as well as the Contractors’ Compliance Administration Framework as our main tools to fight side-marketing and there will be no sacred cows and unturned stones,” reads the statement.
All tobacco stakeholders, TIMB added, are mandated to fully utilise the TIMB booking system.
In terms of the system, a grower should book their tobacco for sale in advance.
TIMB said it will also be conducting random inspections of farms, sales floors and warehouses throughout the season:
“Our inspectors will conduct intelligence-led operations in partnership with law enforcement agencies; for example, surveillance patrols and stop-and-searches at roadblocks.”
Online Reporter