The 2024 tobacco auction marketing season kicks off on Wednesday the 13th of March 2024.
Industry regulator, the Tobacco industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) advised stakeholders in a statement.
“All stakeholders are advised that the 2024 auction tobacco marketing season opens on Wednesday 13 March 2024,” read the statement.
Contract tobacco sales will commence on Thursday 14 March 2024.
TIMB encouraged stakeholders to make use of the booking system for seamless marketing of the tobacco this year.
Cabinet also deliberated on the performance of tobacco marketing for the year 2022/23 season yesterday.
“Pertaining to tobacco, a total of 36.8 million kilogrammes has been exported this year, at an average price of US$7.33 per kilogramme, compared to the 11.6 million kilogrammes exported over a similar period in 2023 at an average price of US$4.31 per kg.
As the nation may recall, from a record production of 296 million kilogrammes under the Second Republic, 236 031 405 kilogrammes of tobacco worth US$1 237 342 456 was subsequently exported in 2023.
Most of the tobacco being sold in 2024 is destined for the Far East, Africa, the Middle East and European Union markets”, said Hon Dr Muswere Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services while presenting the post cabinet brief yesterday.
The golden leaf continue to augment the country’s foreign currency generation capacity. The government should be commended for coming up with initiatives to increase yields such as the tobacco transformation plan.
The plan has seen an increase in volumes as a result of post-harvest loss reduction and yield increase.
During the 2022/23 season a record 296,1 million kilogrammes of tobacco, worth US$896 million was produced.
Tobacco farmers are now producing close to 300 million kg.
The motive of the tobacco transformation plan is on converting tobacco into a US$5 billion industry through exports of tobacco value-added products.
Stakeholders in the tobacco sector are optimistic of producing 300 million kilogrammes of the crop in the 2023/2024 cropping season despite the late onset of the rains and decreased number of registered growers.
