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Precious Manomano Herald Reporter
The 2023 tobacco marketing season is progressing well with farmers having, so far, sold 32 million kgs of the golden leaf worth US$96 million compared to 34 million kgs worth US$99 million sold by farmers during the same period last year.
The marketing season started on March 8, with the country anticipating to produce 230 million kgs up from 212 million kgs produced last year, registering a seven percent increase.
There is also a hive of activity at the contract floors where the bulk of the crop has been sold so far.
The auction floors have sold 3,7 million kgs worth US$10,8 million compared to US$28,6 million kgs valued at US$85,6 million sold through the contract floors.
The average price is US$2,98 per kg compared to US$2,90 offered during the same period last year.
Farmers’ representatives said the selling season is progressing well, with prices firming compared to last year.
This year’s crop was grown in wet weather conditions which, while giving potential for better quality, also saw some nutrient leaching and incidences of some bacterial diseases. But the general quality has been commended by stakeholders. Tobacco production has been on the increase with the Government targeting to raise production to 300 million kgs annually, through the implementation of the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Strategy.
This year’s output was expected to be high in both volume and quality due to the good rains that the country received this cropping season.
Tobacco Farmers Union Trust vice president Mr Edward Dune said the quality of the tobacco crop was good and would fetch top prices.
He said crop leaf is good, adding that farmers have the best quality this season compared to the last season.
“This year, we have got a very good crop. The rains were good, even the dry land crop which is rain-fed could be looking like the irrigated crop because the rains were quite good. We are expecting a very good quality crop. We are only concerned that the inputs were quite expensive, so the prices we are going to fetch from the market should reflect that,” he said.
Tobacco Farmers Union Trust president Mr Victor Mariranyika said the marketing season progressed fairly well adding that this year’s target can be met because of good rains received.
“There is a high probability that the target can be met because of the favourable season. We are still expecting more deliveries from farmers who are contracted. This year we are likely going to exceed our target,” he said.
Tobacco is the country’s biggest agricultural export and second largest single commodity export after gold, raking in around US$800 million in 2021.
The output has grown from 48 million kgs in 2008 to over 200 million kgs now, and the bulk of it is produced by small-scale farmers.
Currently, only 18 percent of the crop is grown under irrigation, and the intention is to expand this to at least 40 percent.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) was working with its parent ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to bring order and sanity to the industry as it seeks to achieve a US$5 billion industry by 2025.
Online Reporter