Tag: Zimbabwe

  • Seeking break-even prices

    breaking even photo
    Photo by Graham C99

    The Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union has said it expects flue-cured tobacco prices to be ‘favorable’ this year, according to a story in The Chronicle, Bulawayo.

    The quality of the crop is said to be excellent and so grower prices, which are said by buyers to be based on quality, should be excellent also.

    Growers believe that prices ranging between $4.00 and $5.00 per kg would be favorable.

    Such prices would allow them to break even and to continue producing flue-cured tobacco next season.

    In 2015 and 2016, the average price paid to Zimbabwe’s flue-cured tobacco growers was about $2.93 per kg.

    Growers are due to start delivering their flue-cured tobacco to the auction floors on March 6, ahead of the opening of the selling season on March 15.

    Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) spokesperson Isheunesu Moyo was quoted as saying that the board had been told by growers that the quality of this year’s crop was excellent.

  • More growers in Zimbabwe

    More growers in Zimbabwe

    The number of tobacco growers in Zimbabwe has increased by 15 percent to 81,301 this farming season, reports The Chronicle, quoting statistics from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB).

    During the same period last year 70,412 farmers had registered to grow the golden leaf.

    The 2016-2017 farming season has so far recorded 14,283 new growers with a total of 91,805 hectares having been put under tobacco.

    At present, 76,775 ha are under dry land tobacco while 15,030 are under irrigation.

    During the same period last year, 87,755 ha were planted under tobacco.

    The golden leaf is one of Zimbabwe’s major foreign currency earners and last year the crop generated about $933 million from 164.5 million kilograms that were exported to 65 countries around the world at an average price of $5.67 a kilogram.

  • Early sales mooted

    Early sales mooted

    The government in Zimbabwe says it is prepared to open flue-cured tobacco auction floors next month – once farmers are ready to deliver their leaf, according to a story in The Chronicle.

    The Minister of Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development, Dr. Joseph Made, was said to have told ZBC News that tobacco auction floors were ready to open in February as long as farmers could deliver enough crop to kick start the marketing season.

    The move by the government to open auction floors earlier this year than was the case last year has been welcomed by farmers.

  • Farmers flock to tobacco

    Farmers flock to tobacco

    At least 66,554 ha of land had been put under tobacco in Zimbabwe as at the end of last week, according to a story in the Zimbabwe Herald quoting the industry regulator, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB).

    This season’s plantings are up by about 17.5 percent on those recorded at the comparable stage of the previous season, 56,623 ha.

    Of the 66,554 ha planted this season, at least 51,998 ha comprised the dry land crop and the remainder the irrigated crop.

    At the same time, the TIMB said that at least 80,327 farmers had registered to grow tobacco during the 2016/17 season, an increase of more than 14 percent on the 70,161 that had registered by the same stage of last season.

    Of the registered growers, 38,217 are said to be communal farmers.

    The Herald said that many farmers had been abandoning other cash crops for tobacco because of the favorable prices for tobacco.

  • Zimbabwe: $585 million tobacco sold during 2015 season

    Nearly 200 million kg of flue-cured tobacco worth $585 million was sold during the 2015 season, which ended on Sept. 9, according to a story in The Herald.

    “Tobacco growers sold 198.7 million kg of flue-cured tobacco worth $586 million during the 2015 marketing season,” said Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) public relations manager Ishemunyoro Moyo. “Earnings declined by 14 percent from the 215.8 million kg worth $684 million that had been sold during a corresponding period last year.”

    According to latest TIMB statistics, the seasonal average price was $2.95 per kg compared to $3.17 per kg last year.

  • Zimbabwe’s tobacco exports earn $200 million

    Zimbabwe has earned $211.9 million from tobacco sales thus far this year. China continues to be the leading importer after buying 19.3 million kg worth $166.7 million since the beginning of the marketing season. Zimbabwe exports Virginia tobacco to more than 50 countries on all but two continents.

    South Africa ranks as the second-biggest importer of the golden leaf, after buying 3.5 million for $13.5 million at $3.77, according to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board. Mauritius, which bought 1.3 million kg worth $5.4 million at $4 per kg, ranks as the third-highest importer. Other top importers include Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Zimbabwe produced 216.2 million kg of Virginia tobacco in 2014.

  • Zimbabwe sales near to 2001 peak

    Zimbabwe sold nearly 190 million kg during the 2013–2014 season, surpassing the target of 180 million kg, reports New Zimbabwe, quoting the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB).

    Auction and contract sales fetched a combined $604.7 million.

    Although auction marketing is set to end soon, contract sales would continue until further notice, TIMB added.

    In 2013, 166 million kg of tobacco worth $616 million was sold.

    TIMB chief executive officer Andrew Matibiri said he hoped the remaining crop to be sold under the contract system would push production figures for 2014 to 200 million kg.

    If met, the target would be slightly lower than the country’s peak production of 231 million kg in 2001.

    China has been the largest buyer of Zimbabwean tobacco over the past years.

  • Tobacco the crop of choice in Zimbabwe

    Zimbabwe had sold 107 million kg of flue-cured tobacco for a total of $400 million by the end of the 55th day of sales, according to a story in the Zimbabwe Herald.

    By the same stage of last season’s sales, 84 million kg of flue-cured had been sold for  $315 million.

    The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board was said to be confident that this season’s 170 million kg target would be surpassed.

    And the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union vice president, Johnson Mapira, was quoted as saying that tobacco production was expected to continue to increase because of favourable farm prices. Tobacco was the only crop where farmers were guaranteed good prices and instant cash.

    Mapira said the good payment method used in respect of tobacco sales meant that tobacco farmers did not have problems paying their workers. And he said that farmers were now using some of the proceeds from tobacco to support other projects.

  • TIMB report: nearly $300 million in sales of golden leaf

    The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has recorded close to $300 million from the sales of the golden leaf as more farmers deliver their crop to the country’s three auction floors, according to a story by Zimbabwe’s NewsDay.

    TIMB shows that as of Wednesday (Day 44), revenue had reached $289 million from 77,787 million kg of tobacco sold. The sales comprised 46,619 million kg contract and 31,168 million kg auction sales.

    On Friday, April 19, Tobacco Sales Floor handled 11.8m kg, followed by Boka Tobacco Auction Floors at 11.3m kg and Premier Tobacco Floor with 7.9 million kg.

    On the day’s trade TSF bought tobacco at an average price of $3. 70 per kg, BTF at $3. 61 per kg and PTF at $3. 56 per kg.

    At least 1,099,020 bales were accepted, while 48,954 bales had been rejected for various reasons. According to the TIMB weekly tobacco report, the current 2013 seasonal sales were 16 percent firmer than the prior year at the same time.

    TIMB said to date, about 51,083 growers have delivered tobacco against 86,941 growers who have registered for 2013 season. During the same period last year about 64,293 had registered.

    TIMB projects 170 million kg of the golden leaf to be brought to the auction floors this season.

  • Zimbabwe: $200 million realized at tobacco auction floors

    Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has recorded close to $200 million from sales of the golden leaf as more farmers continue to deliver their crop, according to a story in the Zimbabwe newspaper NewsDay.

    The latest statistics from TIMB showed that as of Friday (Day 35), revenue had reached $191,243 million from the 51 million kg of tobacco sold so far.

    The total value is 25.57 percent above last year’s figure and 26.29 percent above last year’s output. The price of tobacco as of April 4 averages $3.74 per kg up from $3.72 per kg during the same period last year. The sales comprised 30,572 million kg contract and 20,504 million kg auction sales.

    On Friday, 7,555 million kg went under the hammer at Tobacco Sales Floor (TSF) while Boka Tobacco Auction Floors (BTAF) and Premier Tobacco Auction Floor (PTAF) sold 7,460 million kg and 5,488m kg respectively. In the period under review, TSF bought tobacco at an average price of $3,77 per kg, BTAF at $3,67 per kg and PTAF at $3,63 per kg. At least 720 888 bales were accepted, while 36 434 bales had been rejected for various reasons.

    According to TIMB weekly tobacco report, about 82,833 growers have registered for the 2013 season compared to about 58,801 who had registered by the same period last year.

    TIMB projects 170 million kg of the golden leaf to be brought to the auction floors this season. In the 2012/2013 marketing season, 144 million kg of tobacco were sold, earning the country $525 million.