Tobacco area shrinks

The area put under tobacco in Zimbabwe has dropped by about 14 percent to 92,160 hectares this season due to the late rainfall, reports The Chronicle.

During the same period last year, 107,546 ha had been put under the golden leaf, according to statistics from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB).

Agronomist Thomas Nherera said there was no potential that this season’s tobacco hectarage would increase to match last year’s due to limited rainfall the country has so far received.

“We’ve received limited rainfall and because of that we don’t see the area planted under tobacco this season increasing to that of last year. During the 2015-2016 cropping season, there has been limited moisture required to transplant the tobacco.

Zimbabwe’s tobacco export earnings in 2015 increased to $867 million compared to $772.5 million achieved the previous year.