Tobacco marketing season ends in three days

Business Writer

THE Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has said the 2024 auction season officially ends this Thursday but growers have an extra mop-up week to continue with sales.

The 2024 auction tobacco marketing season opened on 13 March while contract tobacco sales commenced on 14 March.

“The board wishes to advise all stakeholders that the official date of the closure of the auction floors is Thursday 22 August 2024.

“However, growers will still be able to continue to sell their auction tobacco through a mop-up sale. The final auction will be held on Thursday 29 August 2024,” reads a TIMB in a statement.

On contract sales, TIMB said “Contract sales will continue to operate until such a time when individual contractors have fully received all their tobacco.”

In the 2022/23 cropping season, the country produced a record 296 million kilograms of tobacco worth US$896 million.