The Tobacco Farmers Union Trust (TFUT) is calling for the localization of tobacco beneficiation to help mitigate losses caused by adverse weather conditions and soaring production costs in Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector.
The appeal follows a 20 percent drop in production, with farmers yielding 231 million kg of tobacco during the 2023–2024 farming season, largely attributed to a drought induced by the El Nino weather phenomenon.
Tobacco beneficiation refers to the process of adding value to raw tobacco, enhancing its quality, usability and application beyond its conventional uses. Through its Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan, the Zimbabwean government aims to elevate the economic value of tobacco, ultimately benefiting both farmers and the broader economy by creating higher value products and generating jobs within the supply chain.
“Tobacco margins continue to dwindle due to low yields associated with low rainfall patterns and skyrocketing input costs. High earnings often reported in the public domain are mainly benefiting some merchants, contractors and related value chain actors,” said Edward Dune, deputy president of the TFUT, in an interview with NewsDay Business. According to Dune, the localization of tobacco product beneficiation is a key objective of a forthcoming tobacco transformation plan.