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BH24 Reporter
HARARE – Zimbabwe has exported flue-cured tobacco to the value of $87 million during the first couple of months of this year, down from $157 million in the corresponding period last year.
Latest figures from the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board (TIMB) show that a total of 29 countries have purchased Zimbabwe’s flue-cured Virginia tobacco, top among them China, Belgium, Russia, South Africa, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam Hong Kong and Tunisia.
China dominates purchases in 2018 having bought 6, 8 million kilogrammes of local tobacco to the tune of $46, 3 million. China is followed by Belgium which bought 2, 2 million kg to the tune of $6, 8 million.
Neighbor South Africa is in third having bought 1, 7 million kg of tobacco to the tune of $4, 9 million, while Indonesia is in fourth having purchased 1, 3 million kg to the value of $6, 9 million.
In fifth place, Russia has bought 1, 2 million kg of Zimbabwean tobacco worth $4, 4 million. The average selling price currently stands at $4, 68 per kg compared to last year’s figure of $5, 33 per kg
Meanwhile, TIMB says a total of 33 650 new growers have registered for the 2017/18 growing season, up 124 percent from 15 042 new growers in the 2016/17 season.
Bongani Ndlovu