Zimbabwe’s 2023 tobacco marketing season officially opened on Wednesday, 08 March 2023, with the yield expected to rise to 230 million kilogrammes for this year.
In 2022, the country produced 212 million kilogrammes of tobacco with 98 per cent of the crop exported.
According to ZimLive, yesterday, the first bale of tobacco fetched US$4.35 per kilogramme, up from US$4.20, while the lowest price paid for the crop was US$1.85.
Speaking at the official opening of the selling season in Harare on Wednesday, Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) chairman Patrick Devenish, said:
Our crop assessment reveals that we can produce 230 million kg of tobacco this season.
He said the sector also registered 3 283 new growers during the cropping season.
Devenish also said the TIMB licensed two auction floors namely Tobacco Sales Floor and Premier Auction Tobacco Floor.
Tobacco sales will be conducted in Harare as well as five decentralised centres which are Karoi, Mvurwi, Bindura, Marondera and Rusape.
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