The 2025 tobacco marketing season is expected to start on March 5 this year as growers have been eagerly waiting to sell their crop.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) said this in a communication sent to stakeholders last week.
“All stakeholders are advised that the 2025 tobacco marketing season will open on Wednesday 5 March 2025 starting with auction tobacco sales.
Contract tobacco sales will commence the following day, Thursday 6 March 2025,” it said.
The 2025 tobacco selling season comes as the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe last week reduced the foreign currency export retention level from 75 percent to 70 percent.
Farmers have however expressed disappointment over the slashed foreign currency retention level, arguing that it reduces profitability and viability, and also increases the risk of farmers abandoning tobacco due to poor returns.
The farmers’ representatives also fear that there was potential for side marketing.
Zimbabwe is expecting 300 million kg of tobacco this season after farmers increased the area under tobacco to 84 661 hectares, surpassing last year’s 82 392 hectares.
Tobacco is the country’s second largest foreign currency earner after gold. Farming of the golden leaf is arguably one of the success stories of agriculture in the post-land reform era.
At least 98 percent of the locally produced tobacco is however exported in semi-processed form and calls are growing for value to be added to the crop. – New Ziana
