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Agriculture Reporter
STATISTICS availed by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) indicate that the country has earned over US$803 million from exporting 169 million kilogrammes of semi-processed tobacco this year.
This marks a slight increase in revenue from the US$748m generated from the sale of 166 million kilogrammes of the golden leaf during the corresponding period last year. Various volumes of the tobacco have been exported to different destinations so far.
China has since emerged as the major market for the Zimbabwean tobacco with 51, 4 million kilogrammes worth US$406 million having found their way to the Asian country to date.
Belgium imported 26, 5 million kilogrammes worth US$117, 2 million, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) bought 19,9 million kilogrammes worth US$ 29,8 million while South Africa imported 15,6 million kilogrammes worth US$41,2 million.
Countries offering the highest prices include China US$7,88 per kilogramme, Croatia US$7,71 per kg and Pakistan US$7,66 per kg and India US$7 per kg.
Every year Zimbabwe exports semi-processed tobacco that generates something in the region of US$1 million owing to the fact that only two percent of the leaf is value added.
This is despite the stark reality that the country has the capacity to earn US$15 billion per annum from tobacco exports.
TIMB public affairs officer, Mrs Chelesani Tsarwe said the board was working together with other stakeholders in the industry to increase tobacco value addition and beneficiation from the current two percent to 30 percent by 2025 in a move that would guarantee the high returns synonymous with processed products.
Stakeholders in the tobacco industry have called on the Government to intervene and initiate the process of value addition with Tobacco Association of Zimbabwe president Mr George Seremwe underscoring the need for governmental involvement to get the processing plans operationalised.
“The RBZ and Government should give loans to companies that are prepared to invest in processing plants. We also need to encourage companies to invest in processing plants so that we export finished products,” he said.
Meanwhile, the TIMB has also revealed that 144 434 growers have registered for the 2022/23 season marking an increase of 26 percent from the 114 721 who had registered during the same period last year.
The number of new growers has increased by 734 percent from the 371 who had registered during the same period last year to 3 093 this season with production of the tobacco crop also on the ascend because of the favourable prices offered on the market.
Online Reporter
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