The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has said the 2024 tobacco marketing season opens on 13 March for the traditional auction floors, while contract floors will open the following day.
In a recent statement announcing the opening of the tobacco marketing season, the TIMB encouraged tobacco stakeholders to fully utilise the TIMB booking system. It said:
All stakeholders are advised that the 2024 auction tobacco marketing season opens on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. Contract tobacco sales will begin on Thursday, March 14, 2024.
All tobacco stakeholders are encouraged to fully utilise the TIMB booking system. Book your tobacco today and sell it tomorrow.
However, depressed volumes of tobacco are anticipated this season following a significant reduction in both the number of growers and planted area due to the El Nino-induced drought.
Speaking to The Manica Post, Shupikai Mvurumutiya of Chikundu, Odzi, said the quality of tobacco for most small-holder farmers is poor. He said:
It is not looking good and a bit far below the standards witnessed last season. We are not seeing the kind of tobacco leaf we are used to in Odzi.
We can only talk of a good leaf to those farmers who either planted early, have irrigation facilities or planted their crop near vleis.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board said 115 114 growers were registered this season across the country, compared to 148 300 growers last year.
This season farmers across the country planted 113 101 hectares, compared to 117 645ha last season, giving a negative variance of four percent.
TIMB also announced that growers will be paid 75 per cent of their earnings in foreign currency while the remainder will be in Zim dollars.
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