By Almot Maqolo.
Harare, Zimbabwe (News of the South) – At least 18.980 farmers have registered to grow the golden leaf for the first time during the 2016/17, representing a 90 percent increase from the 9.998 reported at the same period last year, latest statistics from the industry
regulator shows.
Tobacco is the country’s single largest export commodity, ahead of platinum and gold.
Of the 18.980 farmers, Mashonaland Central province is on ole position as the country’s major tobacco farming region after recording 3.645 communal farmers, 3.814 A1 farmers, 259 A2 farmers and 177 small scale commercial farmers.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) said as at May 29 this year, at least 98.221 farmers had registered to grow and market the golden leaf this season, at least 46.309 of who are communal farmers.
Since the country started using the basket of foreign currencies in 2009, the tobacco industry has been one of the fastest to recover from the economic meltdown of the past decade.
Many communal farmers have been abandoning other cash crops such as cotton for tobacco due to the favourable prices.
Meanwhile, the industry regulator also said at least 47.9 million kilograms of flue cured tobacco worth $224.9 million had been exported this year at an average price of $4.69 per kg.
The bulk of the tobacco was exported to China while other countries that bought the golden leaf included Belgium, South Africa, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
Tobacco output is this year projected at 200 million kg on the back of good rainfall season the country experienced.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has also given a 5 percent export incentive to tobacco exporters in order to stimulate production of the crop and disbursed a total of $29.3 million to pay tobacco farmers who had submitted their banking details through the TIMB.
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