Zimbabwean farmers have sold 102.3 million kilograms of tobacco worth $305.2 million to date—17 percent less than in the comparable period last year, according to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board.
Of the tobacco sold to date, 95.3 million kg were sold through the contract system while the rest was traded at auctions.
The average price thus far has been $2.98 per kg, up 10.53 percent from last year’s price of $2.70 per kg.
The tobacco being sold this year was grown under challenging weather conditions, characterized by late and erratic rains.
Industry officials expect the country’s farmers to harvest 210 million kg of tobacco this year, down from 250 million kg harvested in 2021.