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  • Zimbabwe “Will Reach 280M KG,” Hopes to Process More Domestically

    Zimbabwe “Will Reach 280M KG,” Hopes to Process More Domestically

    Zimbabwe’s 2025 tobacco marketing season is underway, with 85 million kilograms of the crop, valued at $292 million, having gone under the hammer. Farmers are happy but expect prices to continue firming as the season progresses.

    “While the season started slowly, we are witnessing a rise in tobacco deliveries and we are confident we will reach our target of 280 million kg this season,” Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB)’s acting chief executive officer Emmanuel Matsvaire said. “The highest price offered to date has been $6.30/kg, with the average price sitting at $3.43/kg as of April 17. 

    “TIMB is proud to announce a significant milestone in the decentralization of tobacco production in Zimbabwe. For the second consecutive season, tobacco is being successfully grown in Marula, Mangwe district, Matabeleland South. This is an important step in expanding the crop beyond its traditional strongholds in Manicaland and Mashonaland provinces, [with] 122 small-scale farmers growing 84 hectares of Natural Cured Virginia (NCV) tobacco under a contract arrangement with Atlas Agri. The contractor has since established a local tobacco sales floor, which was inspected and approved by TIMB and will operate this marketing season.”

    Despite the overall positives, stakeholders are concerned about side-marketing issues that continue to threaten the industry.

    “Side marketing remains a challenge in the industry,” Matsvaire said. “Some growers sell their tobacco to middlemen, others sell tobacco produced under contract at auction floors using other farmers’ grower numbers. This practice undermines structured markets, while negatively affecting debt and revenue collection, and exposes growers to low value and exploitation.”

    TIMB is also working toward keeping more tobacco processing in the country, as it loses billions of dollars of revenue by exporting semi-processed tobacco. 

    “The target was to increase value addition and beneficiation of tobacco into cut rag and cigarettes production from 2% of total tobacco produced to 30% to increase of exports of cigarettes by 2025, and to date we have achieved 10.15%,” Matsvaire said. “More effort is being put by the government and private partners to increase value addition. Ten cigarette manufacturers with a combined production capacity of around 4.4 billion cigarette sticks per annum are operating in the country.”

  • Zimbabwe: Grower’s Investment in Quality Pays Off

    Zimbabwe: Grower’s Investment in Quality Pays Off

    Thirty days into the marketing season, Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board reminded growers that quality tobacco that is properly grown, cured, conditioned, graded, and baled attracts top prices at the market, and they should handle their tobacco with care at every stage to avoid lamina damage. The board used Pedia Matamisa, a self-financing grower from Murehwa’s Percyvale Farm, as the face of its message.

    Matamisa was a beneficiary of the Land Reform Program under A2 and this year received the highest tobacco price on the auction floor when two of her bales fetched $4.99 per kilogram. Her lowest price was $2.33 per kilogram and she averaged $3.28. She said last year she averaged $1.79.

    Previously using porous, plastic barns to cure, Matamisa said fellow farmers helped her realize that the use of good barns had a bearing on the quality of the leaf and she decided to improve hers. Unable to get a loan, she sold her car to help get the $5,000 she needed to build a “rocket barn.”

    Originally designed in 2008 in Malawi, Kutsaga Research began building the Zimbabwean version of rocket barns in 2011, which not only help provide consistent heat to improve curing quality but also reduce the amount of fuel needed by up to 50%.

    Matamisa also urged other farmers to properly grade their leaves according to size and not mix the short and long ones.

     “I had two bales that were rejected because of these mixing issues,” she said. “Besides the disadvantage of lowering your prices, this also brings additional re-handling costs.”

  • Zimbabwe Tobacco Market Picking Up Steam

    Zimbabwe Tobacco Market Picking Up Steam

    Twenty-three days after Zimbabwe’s tobacco season opened, all parties are reporting to be relatively satisfied with farmers already earning $143 million from 41.6 million kilograms of flue-cured tobacco sold. As is typical for this point in the season, the majority of the tobacco is still in the field, and thus far, the highest-quality product has been scarcely seen.

    According to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), 39.2 million kg, valued at $135.2 million, had been sold by contracted growers, while 2.4 million kg, worth $7.7 million, had come from self-financed farmers. Last year, farmers sold 56.7 million kg of flue-cured tobacco valued at $200 million.

    The increase in tobacco production has been attributed to viable prices, an organized market, and the availability of funding through contractors and the government.

    The average price at auction was $3.43 per kg, compared to $3.53 last year, but growers are confident that the price will continue to rise as they grade and bail the best of their product.

    “The participation of merchants has really improved,” said Sam Garabha, operations manager for Premier Tobacco Auction Floors. “Our farmers are quite happy and excited with the offers they are receiving at the auction floors, although we expect better quality. During the past week, we were receiving lower and middle grades, but, as the harvest continues, we are noticing significant improvements in prices.”

    Source: “The Sunday Mail”, Harare; 6 Apr 2025

    Farmers pocket US$143m as auction activity picks up
  • Zimbabwe Bans Non-Contract Tobacco 

    Zimbabwe Bans Non-Contract Tobacco 

    With Zimbabwe expecting another banner tobacco crop, the nation’s Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) continues to work toward regulating the market and protecting farmers from unfair prices and practices. TIMB’s latest directive, made just days ahead of the opening of the marketing season, says that all free-funded tobacco must be sold through the auction system this year. 

    Tobacco production is grown under two arrangements in Zimbabwe, namely contract and self-financing. Previously, farmers and merchants were allowed to buy tobacco from self-financing farmers outside the auction system on arranged terms, which distorted auction prices, which in turn distorted prices for future contract tobacco.

    “We challenge all the 55 licensed merchants this season that there is no room to buy free tobacco outside auction floors,” said TIMB chief executive officer Emmanuel Matsvaire, adding they will have a zero-tolerance policy for breaches.

    Earlier this year TIMB introduced a biometric registration system, underscoring the regulatory board’s commitment to combating illicit practices, among them side-marketing.

    Last year, Zimbabwe’s tobacco export surged to 243.4 million kilograms, valued at $1.31 billion, an increase from 2023’s $1.23 billion. More plantings and favorable weather suggest the 2025 season will be even better.

  • Zimbabwe Growers Encouraged to Prioritize Quality

    Zimbabwe Growers Encouraged to Prioritize Quality

    Predicting a significant increase in global flavor-grade tobacco supply for 2025, Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) is urging growers to focus on quality by investing in an energy-efficient curing infrastructure, adopting precision farming techniques, and implementing improved agronomic practices.

    For the 2025 season, Zimbabwe saw a 2.75% increase in hectares planted, which combined with improved rainfall distribution and better agronomic practices, puts the projected national output between 280 million and 300 million kg depending on the weather. Last year’s output of 231.7 million kg of flue-cured Virginia tobacco was a 13.1% increase from 2023.

    The anticipated increase in Zimbabwe combined with projections that Brazil’s output will increase from 461.8 million kg in 2024 to at least 650 million kg in 2025 has experts predicting downward pressure on tobacco prices, particularly for middle to low-end grades.

    Tapiwa Masedza, the factory coordinator for the Tian Ze Tobacco Company, said the global demand for tobacco remains robust, with many companies struggling to meet supply orders due to last year’s reduced crop size. That combined with China’s need for top-end grades gives hope that prices will remain stable for premium leaf, however low- to medium-end grades prices are expected to drop.

    “While the anticipated increase in production is a testament to the sector’s resilience and growth, the potential price pressures underscore the need for strategic planning and investment in quality improvement,” Masedza said. “Mixing grades in bales, excessive moisture, and moldy tobacco can lead to discounts or rejections, ultimately affecting profitability.”

    TIMB is trying to help insulate local farmers from potential subdued prices resulting from excess supply with a new pricing system, expected to be implemented April 5. The system will determine the following day’s minimum price based on the average price of all tobacco sold — both at auction and through contracts — across all grades.

  • Zimbabwe Tobacco Market Introduces Biometric System

    Zimbabwe Tobacco Market Introduces Biometric System

    When Zimbabwe’s tobacco auction floors open March 5, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) announced it will implement measures to ensure only legitimate farmers participate in the market and to prevent side marketing. Chelesani Tsarwe, public affairs officer for the TIMB, said a biometric grower management system will be used to track the country’s largest agricultural export.

    “The new system introduces biometric data capture, linking each farmer’s unique grower number to their fingerprints, as well as the GPS coordinates of their households and farms,” Tsarwe said.

    She added that the information system will be conducted at designated key selling points, and that the country is prioritizing the value-addition of the tobacco leaf locally to boost revenue and create jobs.

    Grown mainly on small-scale farms, Zimbabwe harvested more than 240 million kilograms of tobacco last year, generating more than $1.4 billion in revenue.

  • Optimism High as Zimbabwe Tobacco Harvest Begins Despite Weather Challenges

    Optimism High as Zimbabwe Tobacco Harvest Begins Despite Weather Challenges

    The early harvesting of Zimbabwe’s tobacco crop is underway, with farmers optimistic about achieving the annual target of 300 million kilograms despite earlier setbacks. Edward Dune, president of the Tobacco Farmers Union Trust, reported that most irrigated farms have started reaping, although recent heatwaves have compromised leaf weight in some areas. Encouraged by the December rains, small-scale farmers are still planting, and Dune anticipates an early start to the marketing season if favorable weather continues. The influx of labor to tobacco farms, particularly in arid regions like Binga and Muzarabani, reflects the sector’s importance for local livelihoods.

    To support farmers, the government has extended the deadline for seedbed destruction to January 15, 2025, following a recommendation by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB). The extension, prompted by delayed rains and transplanting, allows growers to maximize their efforts amidst challenging conditions. With 84,661 hectares transplanted as of late December—exceeding last year’s figure—TIMB is optimistic about the industry’s growth and resilience. Efforts to ensure high-quality tobacco, proper handling, and competitive pricing remain priorities as TIMB prepares for a crop assessment exercise in January to evaluate the main dryland crop’s progress.

  • TIMB Raises Red Flag On ‘Bogus Association’

    TIMB Raises Red Flag On ‘Bogus Association’

    Image: yganko

    Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has called out the Golden Leaf Advisory (GLA) as a suspected “bogus association” that is not mandated to represent farmers or the tobacco regulatory board, according to The Herald.

    According to the TIMB chief executive, Emmanuel Matsvaire, “there is no relationship whatsoever” between his organization and the GLA. He urged farmers to avoid the entity.

    “We have so many complaints from farmers who have been fleeced of their money by this organization purporting to represent tobacco growers,” said Matsvaire. “The organization has no mandate either from our Ministry (of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development) or from the TIMB to represent the farmers.

    “It is a bogus institution that has been extorting money from farmers and other stakeholders.”

    In April, the TIMB rejected a request from GLA to meet with farmer associations and contractors before loan disbursements. “We take note of your proposal and would like to inform you that it is regrettably rejected,” the TIMB informed the GLA. “GLA is not properly registered by either TIMB of the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.”

  • TIMB Introduces Natural Air Curing Systems

    TIMB Introduces Natural Air Curing Systems

    Image: THAWISAK | Adobe Stock

    The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) in Zimbabwe has introduced a natural air curing system (NACS), reports New Zimbabwe.

    The new NACS will help prevent farmers from losing leaf due to lack of space in curing facilities. NACS is a drying technique that forces ambient air through the leaf to attain acceptable moisture content.

    “This significantly reduces farmers’ post-harvest yield losses and ultimately improves farmer viability, profitability and sustainability,” said the TIMB.

    “The introduction of this natural Virginia tobacco product to the Zimbabwe tobacco industry is in line with the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan, which has the farmer at the core of the transformation and seeks to improve productivity and sustainability.”

    “The introduction of new systems and practices will also aid in addressing side marketing.  Farmers’ cost of production will be reduced, increasing profitability, thereby reducing farmer incentive to side market.”

    “Atlas Agri (Private) Limited will be joining TIMB to spearhead this new initiative,” added the TIMB.

  • Zimbabwe Licenses Buyers for 2022 Season

    Zimbabwe Licenses Buyers for 2022 Season

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has licensed 33 buyers and 31 contractors for the 2022 tobacco marketing season, reports The Herald.

    TIMB statistics indicate that 122,769 growers have registered for the 2022 growing season compared with 145,625 last year.

    According to Tobacco Association of Zimbabwe President George Seremwe, most farmers with an irrigated crop have finished reaping, and some have started grading their leaf.

    “The dry land tobacco was planted a bit late, so most of the farmers are on their first reaping,” he added. “Most of the small-scale tobacco farmers grow dry land tobacco, which is still in the field.”

    The Zimbabwe Tobacco Association expects good yield despite adverse weather during the growing season. “The crop has grown out well and clean in many areas and naturally in areas that received large amounts of rain,” said ZTA Chief Executive Rodney Ambrose.

    Ambrose did, however, express concern over electricity supply. “Extensive load shedding coupled with faults has seen growers go days and weeks without power,” he said.

    During the 2022 tobacco marketing season, growers will retain 75 percent of their earnings in hard currency, up from 60 percent last season.