Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has licensed 33 buyers and 31 contractors for the 2022 tobacco marketing season, reports The Herald.
TIMB statistics indicate that 122,769 growers have registered for the 2022 growing season compared with 145,625 last year.
According to Tobacco Association of Zimbabwe President George Seremwe, most farmers with an irrigated crop have finished reaping, and some have started grading their leaf.
“The dry land tobacco was planted a bit late, so most of the farmers are on their first reaping,” he added. “Most of the small-scale tobacco farmers grow dry land tobacco, which is still in the field.”
The Zimbabwe Tobacco Association expects good yield despite adverse weather during the growing season. “The crop has grown out well and clean in many areas and naturally in areas that received large amounts of rain,” said ZTA Chief Executive Rodney Ambrose.
Ambrose did, however, express concern over electricity supply. “Extensive load shedding coupled with faults has seen growers go days and weeks without power,” he said.
During the 2022 tobacco marketing season, growers will retain 75 percent of their earnings in hard currency, up from 60 percent last season.