Growers line up for start of sales season

About 85,360 farmers have so far registered for Zimbabwe’s 2014 tobacco selling season, up from about 65,000 at the same stage of last year, according to a story in The Standard quoting the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board.

The board’s chairperson, Monica Chinamasa, attributed the increase to the ‘lucrative cash payments’ that come with selling tobacco.

“That is the only sector which is presently paying farmers well,” said Chinamasa. “Maize is associated with delayed payments and low prices while cotton is even worse.

“Secondly, tobacco has a ready market. Every farmer wants to grow something which they can sell.”