Story by Tendai Munengwa
TOBACCO deliveries recorded a significant increase this week, with at least 100 million kilogrammes of the golden leaf having gone under the hammer since the tobacco marketing season opened last month.
The 2025 tobacco marketing season entered day 35 this Friday with the major highlight being the increasing number of women growing tobacco which has turned out to be one of the most lucrative cash crops for farmers.
“We are happy as women that we are now tobacco growers and we are making money. We are free growers and the prices we are getting are encouraging us to grow more,” one woman from Karoi said.
Despite the pricing matrix having stabilised, farmers have called for the convergence of auction and contract floors’ prices.
“We have been growing tobacco for a long time and the US$4.99 has been the highest price since then, we appeal to relevant authorities to look into it and address this anomaly,” a farmer at one of the auction floors said.
Tobacco marketing expert Sam Garaba believes the full implementation of the biometric system to curbside marketing will transform the tobacco industry.
“A lot of free sponsored tobacco is still being channelled to surrogates, but the biometric system introduced by Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) can be the lasting solution to side marketing of free tobacco. There automatic de -contracting of contract companies who would have reached their sponsored volumes should be activated to avoid side marketing,” Garaba said.
Latest statistics by the TIMB show that about 100 million kilogrammes have gone under the hammer so far, meaning about 180 million kgs are yet to be delivered if the revised target of 280 million kgs this season is anything to go by.
