Zim Farmers Pleased with Early Tobacco

Farmers in Zimbabwe’s Karoi and Headlands area have been pleased with the quality of early planted tobacco, reports The Herald.

The crop is generally reported to be in good condition and many small-scale farmers, who rely on rainfall, are still in the process of planting.

This year to date, Zimbabwean tobacco farmers have planted 53,571 ha of tobacco compared with 38,312 ha during the previous growing season, according to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.

Statistics also revealed that about 18,614 ha were put under irrigated tobacco and 34,957 under dryland tobacco.

The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board recently increased the number of licensed tobacco contractors to 42 from 39 as more merchants qualified.

Tobacco continues to rank as one of Zimbabwe’s most important non-food crops.

Zimbabwe earned $650 million during the 2022 tobacco marketing season, which closed Oct. 21. The figure was up from $589 million last year.