The ManicaPost
AT least 13 869 farmers have registered to grow tobacco for the first time during the 2016/17 cropping season, representing a 56 percent increase from the 8 894 recorded at the same time last year, latest statistics from the industry regulator show.
Tobacco is the single largest export commodity for Zimbabwe, ahead of platinum and gold.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) said as at December 9 this year, at least 73 658 farmers had registered to grow and market the crop this season, at least 34 363 of who are communal farmers.
Since the country started using multiple foreign currencies in 2009, the tobacco industry has been one of the fastest to recover from the economic meltdown of the past decade due to favorable prices and organised marketing.
Many farmers have been abandoning other cash crops such as cotton for tobacco due to the favorable prices.
The TIMB also said at least 41 462 hectares have been put under tobacco as at the end of last week, increasing from 38 808 hectares planted during the comparable period last year.
Of the 41 462 hectares of planted tobacco, at least 27 066 hectares were put under dry land tobacco.
The TIMB said farmers who have planted irrigated tobacco are from Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, and Mashonaland East, Manicaland and Midlands provinces.
Some farmers in Mashonaland East and Mashonaland West provinces have also started planting dry land tobacco.
The industry regulator also said at least 156.7 million kilograms of flue cured tobacco worth $881.9 million had been exported this year at an average price of $5.63 per kg.
The bulk of the tobacco was exported to China while other countries that bought the golden leaf included South Africa, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Sudan and Russia.
The past cropping season was characterized by drought which resulted in farmers planting late, while the crop was also heavily affected by dry spells.— New Ziana.
