‘Tobacco sector on growth trajectory’

Source: The Herald – Breaking news.

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 Dr Masuka

Mukudzei Chingwere, Herald Reporter

ZIMBABWE’s tobacco industry is on a promising trajectory, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Dr Anxious Masuka said yesterday.

He emphasised the Government’s commitment to the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan (2021-2025).

The tobacco auction floors opened yesterday with contract deliveries and sales, which form the bulk of the modern crop, starting today. The auction floors remain critical for self-financed growers and for the market discovery process that sets prices.

The official opening saw the first bale going under the hammer for US$4,65 per kilogramme compared to US$4,92 for the first bale at last year’s official opening. The first bale is a random selection and has little influence on price. Later yesterday, the highest bale registered a price of US$4,95 per kilogramme.

Production this year is expected to be around 280 million kilogrammes above last year’s 235 million kilogrammes.

Tobacco is the country’s single second largest foreign currency earning export product after gold and the Government is keen to see its continued production growth. Tobacco, since the land reform programme, is now grown by tens of thousands of farmers and is a driver of the agricultural prosperity seen across the tobacco belt.

This ambitious initiative, said Minister Masuka, aims to enhance the sector’s output and value, maintaining Zimbabwe as a key player in the global tobacco market.

He shared preliminary findings that indicate a commendable increase in value addition and beneficiation, rising from two percent to seven percent since the launch of the plan.

This progress, though modest, is a testament to the collective efforts of stakeholders in the sector and underscores the potential for further growth.

“Today, we come together not just to celebrate the opening of the marketing season, but to acknowledge the role that tobacco plays in our economic development journey,” said Minister Masuka.

“The direct impact of agriculture to economic development is seen from the tobacco contribution to agricultural growth, domestic product and national economic development.

“I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude to all stakeholders involved in the sector, from the hardworking tobacco growers to the merchants, processors, the Government institutions that drive development of the Sector-Tobacco Research Board and the regulator Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board.”

Minister Masuka said Zimbabwe seeks to increase the level of value addition and beneficiation of tobacco into cutrag and cigarettes from two percent of the total tobacco produced to 30 percent to increase exports of cigarettes by 2025.

“Preliminary information suggests an increase in value addition and beneficiation from two percent to seven percent during the plan period.

“I have provided this rather unsavoury state of progress in the transformation of the sector to remind us of the collective obligation to deliver on the plan for the sake of our country,” said Minister Masuka.

Tobacco on auction during the official opening of tobacco selling season in Harare yesterday. Picture Justin Mutenda

He said Zimbabwe is a choice source of flavour styles of tobacco desired by discerning world markets.

“Our tobacco is arguably, the most widely exported product from Zimbabwe. We must endeavour to keep it this way,” said Minister Masuka.

“We must continue to explore strategic alliances to accelerate production, increase value addition and beneficiation, to entrench local financing and to manage risk through diversification at farm level.”

TIMB chairman Mr Patrick Devenish said the auction floor represents not just the marketplace for the hard work of growers, but also a symbol of the dedication and resilience of all involved.

The mission remains to provide a platform where growers can showcase their high-quality tobacco and secure a fair price for their efforts.

“As we celebrate today’s opening, we also look forward with great optimism. We are committed to continuous improvement, and as such, we are investing in the future — both in technology and in our people,” said Mr Devenish.

“The board is introducing a biometric grower management system to address the longstanding challenges within Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector. This innovative solution will protect farmers, curbside marketing, eliminate fraudulent activities and restore transparency and efficiency in the industry.

“The new system introduces biometric data capture, linking each farmer’s unique grower number to their fingerprints, GPS coordinates of their household and farm, and demographic data.

“This comprehensive profiling protects farmers and ensures that only genuine farmers participate in the market.”