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Precious Manomano
Herald Reporter
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has partnered the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution
Company (ZETDC) to ensure reliable power supplies to tobacco farmers this season.
Farmers need electricity for several operations on the farm, including irrigation.
The board has rolled out several initiatives that are meant to improve tobacco growers’ viability and ensure an annual yield of 300 million kilograms of tobacco by 2025.
TIMB acting chief executive officer, Mr Emmanuel Matsvaire said the board also partnered with other stakeholders for
registered farmers to get discounted coal for tobacco curing.
“Traditionally, farmers used to obtain coal at a cost of about US$65 per tonne before Value Added Tax (VAT). After Lands,
Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka’s negotiations with coal suppliers like
Hwange Colliery, the coal is now accessible at US$45 per tonne before VAT, which is a saving at least US$20 per tonne,” said
Mr Matsvaire.
“The 2023/24 season was the maiden year of the program, and 5 319 tonnes of coal were procured through this initiative, and
this translated to approximately US$100 000 in savings.”
He said there has been an increased uptake of the product this season, with some tobacco contractors bringing their small-scale
farmers into the programme to ensure they remain viable.
Online Reporter