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Statistics from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) show that a total of 8 028kgs of seed had been sold to farmers.
The seed bought so far is 24,3 percent more than the 6 459kgs that were sold during the same period last year.
Last year, during the comparable period, 19 975 farmers had registered to grow tobacco.
Deadline for registration of growers for marketing the crop has been set for 30 October.
The total seed sales and grower registration show that farmers are dedicated to produce more in the 2012/2013 cropping season.
As at 5 September more than 144 million kilogrammes of tobacco worth $526million had been sold with the contract system contributing the bulk of the deliveries.
Though the country missed a production target of 150 million kilogrammes, tobacco farming is slowly rebounding after years of decline.
The 144 million kilogrammes sold this season is the highest production since land reforms began over a decade ago.
Of the 144 million kilogrammes total,92 million kilogrammes were sold through contract sales, while the remainder was sold under the auction system.
The average price per kilogramme this year was $3,66 compared to last year’s $2,77, TIMB said
Production has been rising since 2009, though it remains lower than the peak in 2000 of 236 million kilogrammes.
Tobacco is one of Zimbabwe’s major agricultural exports, accounting for 10,7 percent of GDP.
Major export markets for Zimbabwean tobacco include China, UK, South Africa, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Mauritius and Russia. — New Ziana.
Online Reporter