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Tag: NCV

  • NCV Sparks Agricultural Transformation in Zimbabwe

    NCV Sparks Agricultural Transformation in Zimbabwe

    Naturally cured Virginia (NCV) tobacco is driving what officials describe as an agricultural breakthrough in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland North and South provinces, with 325 growers planting 370 hectares this season — up from 122 growers and 84 hectares last year. Backed by contracts with Atlas Agri and supported by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board, the crop’s rapid expansion marks a shift beyond the country’s traditional tobacco regions in Mashonaland and Manicaland.

    Introduced as a 10-hectare pilot just three seasons ago, NCV is gaining traction as a climate-smart alternative that requires no firewood for curing, lowering costs and environmental impact while offering smallholder farmers in drier regions a viable new income stream. With growing global demand for sustainably produced tobacco and the establishment of a local sales floor to ease market access, stakeholders say NCV is helping to decentralize production and unlock fresh economic potential in previously underrepresented farming communities.

    “As global markets increasingly demand sustainably produced tobacco, buyers are paying premiums for crops with low environmental footprints,” Rhyne Chikuni wrote for News Day. “NCV tobacco answers this global call, positioning Zimbabwe as a responsible and forward-looking producer. This is sustainability paired with economic viability.”

  • Zimbabwe Tobacco Production up 21% 

    Zimbabwe Tobacco Production up 21% 

    According to Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), 220.6 million kg of flue-cured tobacco has been sold for $678.3 million since the marketing season opened March 5, marking a 21% increase from the same period last year.

    The TIMB said 190.3 million kg, worth $641.5 million, had been sold by contract growers, while 10.3 million kg, valued at $36.7 million, was sold through auction floors. The highest price recorded at auction was $4.99 per kg, while contract sales peaked at $6.30 per kg.

    Chelesani Tsarwe, the public affairs officer for TIMB, the decentralization of tobacco production beyond traditional growing provinces would have a substantial impact on the nation’s output.

    “The first sale of Naturally Cured Virginia (NCV) tobacco will take place [May 22] at the Atlas Agri contract floor in Marula, Matabeleland South, and the volumes recorded in Matabeleland are expected to contribute to the national total,” she said. “Efforts are ongoing to enhance transparency and efficiency across the tobacco value chain. TIMB remains committed to ensuring the industry remains viable, inclusive, and globally competitive.”