More than 14,000 farmers have already registered to grow tobacco in Zimbabwe next year, reports The Herald, citing statistics from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board.
Of these, 7,537 are communal farmers, 4,871 A1 farmers, 817 small-scale farmers and 880 A2 farmers.
Mashonaland Central has the highest number with 5,744 registered farmers, followed by Mashonaland West with 5,307, Mashonaland East with 1,707, Manicaland with 1,303, Midlands with 31, and Masvingo with 13.
The sector is expecting the volumes to surpass the 200 million kg target in the next tobacco marketing season.
Zimbabwe sold 186.6 million kg of leaf tobacco valued at $515.9 million during the 2021 marketing season. The figures are up 16.8 percent in volume and 31 percent in value over the 2020 sales.