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Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business Reporter
TOBACCO seed sales for the 2020/21 cropping season have increased by 32 percent to 867,5 kilogrammes covering 144 587 hectares, with only two farmers from Matabeleland participating, official figures show.
Latest data from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) show that during the same period last year, a total of 659,6kg had been sold covering 109 941ha.
Transplanting of the irrigated crop has begun across all the crop’s seven growing regions namely Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Manicaland, Masvingo, Midlands, and part of Matabeleland.
The TIMB report further shows that so far the number of contracted growers stands at 115 345 against 127 071 in the comparable period last year. Mashonaland Central has the largest number of contracted tobacco farmers registering 48 882 followed by Mashonaland West at 43 617.
Manicaland has recorded a total of 18 675 contracted tobacco farmers while 15 586 were in Mashonaland East, Midlands (222), Masvingo (87), and Matabeleland (2).
The report also shows that active non-contracted growers were presently at 6 716 compared to 24 729.
Tobacco is the one of the major foreign currency earners in Zimbabwe and has over the years contributed substantially to providing liquidity support in the economy.
Zimbabwe exports its flue-cured tobacco around the world to countries such as China, Belgium, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, India, United States of America, South Africa, Malawi, Egypt, Zambia Mozambique and Kenya, among others.
Last year, the country earned about US$1 billion from tobacco exports.
Meanwhile, the Government has urged farmers not to allow their attention to be diverted from preparing their land for the forthcoming season by the lies being peddled that they will lose their land to white former commercial farmers under the Global Compensation Deed, which covers improvements only and carefully excludes land.
@okazunga
Online Reporter