Tobacco season to be pushed back

Zimbabwe is likely to push back the start of its tobacco marketing season by about a month from the traditional mid-February period.

Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board Chief Executive Dr. Andrew Matibiri said that most of the dry-land crop, which accounts for most of the tobacco grown, is still in the early stages of maturing.

“Our teams are still going around the country to assess the condition of the crop but it appears that we will be late this year due to the rains.”

“The season is most likely to open in March but a clearer position will emerge when the board meets next week, ” he said.

Dr. Matibiri also said that most farmers who grew the irrigated crop were now curing but this tobacco was largely destined for the contract system.

Zimbabwe’s tobacco is sold under two systems, the auction where individual farmers sell the crop at the auction floors and the contract where farmers are contracted to produce the crop by a contractor who supplies them with inputs.