Tobacco sales top $479 million

Tendai Chara

OVER 181 million kilogrammes of tobacco worth US$479 million have so far been sold by farmers since the opening of the marketing season.

According to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) latest statistics, there has been a decrease in the volume of the crop which has so far been sold when compared to the crop that was sold during the same period last year.

“So far 181 million kilogrammes of tobacco worth US$479 million has been sold. By this period last year, US$481 had been realised,” said Dr Andrew Matibiri, the TIMB chief executive officer.

Dr Matibiri said 17 percent of the total sales were realised at the decentralised auction floors in Karoi, Mvuri and Rusape.

Mrs Chido Nyakudya, the managing director of Boka Tobacco Floors, one of the largest auction floors in the country, attributed the decrease to the erratic rainfall which resulted in low yields.

“The erratic rains resulted in low yields. As BTF, we managed to pull through and we are already focusing on the next season,” Mrs Nyakudya said.

The tobacco auction floors closed on August 31.