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The seasonal average price of the crop this year is $3,74 per kg compared to $2,74 the previous season.
Data from TIMB also shows that most of the crop delivered this season had come through the contract farming arrangement with 82,2 million kg while 49,9 million kg was delivered under the auction system.
An agronomist and tobacco expert, Mr Thomas Nherera, said although data was showing that tobacco deliveries had reached last year’s total closing, this year’s projection of 150 million kg would not be achieved.
“Sales up to now have accumulated to 132 million kg and there is some tobacco that is still coming through. However, it is unlikely that the 150 million kg stakeholders had projected this year will be met.
“The reason for not achieving the projected figure is two-fold. The rainfall pattern was erratic for the rain- fed tobacco resulting in a reduction of output. Farmers that did not grow the crop under the contract system where hard hit by a shortage of inputs particularly fertilisers and this also impacted negatively on the crop’s output,” said Mr Nherera.
He predicted that this year’s total closing was likely not to surpass the 135 million kg mark.
“Taking into consideration the low volumes of deliveries being recorded at the auction floors at the moment, the selling season is likely to end next month,” he said, adding that mop-up sales would be conducted in September.
So far, 1 591 477 bales have been sold at the auction floors compared to 1 481 857 sold during the same period last year.
During the season, 1 683 316 bales were laid compared to 1 591 445 during the same period last year.
Since the beginning of the selling season in February, 75 299 bales have been rejected while 109 588 were rejected during the same period last year.
The reasons for rejection include overweight, oversize, underweight and mouldy.
Mr Nherera commended the quality of tobacco that the farmers had delivered saying production was likely to continue improving.
He said the rise in tobacco output would be influenced by fundamentals such as continued stakeholder support to farmers as well as favourable prices on the auction floors.
Tobacco production peaked in 1999 when 271 million kg were produced but fell between 2000 and 2008.
Online Reporter