Online Reporter
Theseus Shambare
THE Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has launched a debt relief programme for thousands of small-scale and communal tobacco farmers burdened by loans from the Tobacco Inputs Credit Scheme (TICS).
The initiative, announced today, offers a crucial lifeline to growers who have struggled with repayments due to economic hardship, climate change and viability challenges since the scheme’s inception in 2017.
Under the new relief package, TICS beneficiaries can receive a 50 percent discount on their outstanding debts if they pay by May 31, 2025, at any TIMB office.
Special provisions are also being made for relatives of deceased beneficiaries and elderly farmers aged 65 and above, who are encouraged to visit TIMB offices with certified identification to negotiate further discounts.
In a statement, TIMB acting CEO Mr Emmanuel Matsvaire emphasised the programme’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable agriculture.
“By relieving this debt, we not only give these farmers a fresh start but also strengthen the foundations of the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan (TVTP),” Mr Matsvaire said, highlighting the plan’s aim to improve livelihoods, promote local financing and expand annual tobacco production to 300 million kilogrammes.
The TICS programme, he said, which ran from the 2017/18 to the 2021/22 tobacco season, provided critical inputs to over 33 327 farmers.
This debt relief, coming amidst the ongoing 2025 tobacco marketing season, is strategically timed to allow growers to utilise their current liquidity to settle legacy debts.
As of May 16, 2025, farmers have sold 189,2 million kilogrammes of tobacco, generating US$639,7 million.
Mr Matsvaire expressed confidence in reaching the 300 million kilogramme target for the current season, despite a slow start to deliveries.
In a related development, the first sale of Naturally Cured Virginia (NCV) tobacco, a sustainable crop being grown in the Mangwe district of Matabeleland South, is scheduled for Thursday, May 22.
The sale will take place at the Atlas Agri contract floor in Marula, Matabeleland South and will be officiated by officials from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development, underscoring the growing excitement for this new crop.
