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Oliver Kazunga Senior Business Reporter
MORE than 100,000 growers have registered to grow tobacco in the 2014 cropping season compared to about 88,837 who registered during the same period last year, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has said. Statistics from the TIMB show that the bulk of the growers who have registered to grow tobacco this season are farmers in communal areas at 47,255 while 36,829 are A1 farmers, A2 farmers 11,426 and small-scale farmers 8,431.
“To date, about 103,941 growers have registered for 2014 season compared to about 88,837 who had registered by the same period last year,” it said.
As at April 25, Matabeleland region, which is slowly venturing into tobacco farming, had the least number of registered growers recording 10 growers, followed by Masvingo province with 494 farmers, Midlands 538, Mashonaland East 17,275 while Manicaland registered 18,420 growers.
Mashonaland West had the highest number of farmers that have registered to grow the golden leaf at 36,368 while Mashonaland Central recorded 30,836.
TIMB also revealed that week 10 of trading ended with seasonal sales at 100 million kg.
“The seasonal average price has not changed from previous week’s price of $3,21 per kilogramme. Seasonal contract sales have recorded 69,4 million kgs at an average price of $3,36 a kilogramme and 30 million kgs for auction sales averaging $2,86 a kilogramme,” it said.
In the corresponding period in 2013, seasonal sales recorded 81,7 million kgs at an average price of $3,72 a kilogramme.
The tobacco sector has over the years been one of the major economic mainstays providing liquidity support in the economy through export earnings.
Since the beginning of the year, 14,97 million kgs of tobacco valued at $54,57 million at an average price of $3,64 a kilogramme have been exported to different parts of the world with South Africa so far leading as the major importer of the golden leaf.
The neighbouring country has so far consumed 2,1 million kgs valued $6,5 million at an average price of $3,01 a kilogramme while Mauritius was on second position having spent $3,7 million on two million kgs at an average price of $1,75 per kilogramme.
China, which has over the past four years dominated as the major consumer of flue-cured tobacco from Zimbabwe, was in third position spending $14,2 million at an average price of $6,82 a kilogramme on two million kgs.
Indonesia has spent $11 million on two million kgs at an average price of $5,48 a kilogramme while Belgium has bought 1,6 million kgs of tobacco from Zimbabwe at $2,35 million with an average price of $1,43 a kilogramme.
Online Reporter