Online Reporter
Richard Muponde-Zimpapers Politics Hub
Farmers have warned that although there is optimism for good tobacco output this season, labour shortages, curing challenges and pricing concerns could still affect the final yield.
Harvesting of irrigated tobacco has already begun in some areas, raising hopes of a record-breaking season.
In an interview, Zimbabwe National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president, Mrs Monica Chinamasa, cautioned farmers and stakeholders, noting that the most critical stages of the tobacco value chain were still underway.
“With tobacco, don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” said Mrs Chinamasa.
“First, there is reaping to be done and the biggest challenge is labour. Labour is at a minimum because everybody has something else that they are doing at this juncture.”
She said labour shortages during harvesting could delay reaping, affecting leaf quality and overall yields, especially for late-planted crops that have already been impacted by prolonged rains.
Mrs Chinamasa also highlighted curing and grading as major pressure points in the season.
“When it’s harvested, it has to be cured. That means the supply of firewood or electricity for curing. Then there is grading and then there is marketing at the auction floors,” she said.
Beyond production challenges, she raised concern over pricing and payment arrangements at the auction floors, warning that farmers could struggle to recover their costs.
“There is also the issue of pricing at the auction floors. What is also worrying is this ratio of 75 to 25, which is impoverishing the farmers. Tobacco is a very expensive crop to grow, so if you are only going to get 75 percent of your money in USD, you are not going to make money,” she said.
The development comes as the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) confirmed a sharp increase in planted hectarage for the 2025/2026 season, driven largely by favourable rains and renewed confidence among farmers, particularly small-scale producers.
In an update posted on its X handle, TIMB said Zimbabwe had planted more than 162 000 hectares of tobacco as of early January, well above the targeted 140 000 hectares and significantly higher than last season.
“As of January 9, 2026, Zimbabwe had 162 625 hectares of tobacco established, a 42 percent increase from the 114 301 hectares recorded during the same period last year,” TIMB said. “This growth reflects renewed confidence by growers, improved seasonal conditions and continued efforts to strengthen production across the tobacco value chain.” TIMB said the crop across all growing regions was “flourishing” and urged farmers to adhere to best agronomic practices to ensure quality leaf that attracts better prices on the market.
Last season, Zimbabwe produced 355 million kilogrammes of tobacco, one of the highest outputs on record.
