Flue-cured prices increased

The average grower price for flue-cured tobacco during the first nine days of Zimbabwe’s 2018 marketing season was up by nearly 13 percent on that of the comparable period of the 2017 season, according to a Bulawayo24 story citing figures from a Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board report.
Growers were said to have grossed US$25.8 million from the sale of 8.9 million kg of flue-cured delivered nine days into the 2018 marketing season.
By the same stage of the 2017 season, they had grossed US$26.6 million from the sale of 10.4 million kg.
Contract sales this year have earned US$21.0 million from the sale of about 7.0 million kg, for an average price of US$3.01 per kg.
Meanwhile, auction sales this year have earned US$4.6 million from the sale of 1.9 million kg, for an average price of US$2.42 per kg.
Experts have forecast tobacco output of 200 million kg this year on plantings down from 110,518 ha last season to 104,397 ha this season.