HARARE – The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has advised stakeholders that the 2026 auction tobacco marketing season will officially come to an end on Friday, July 31, 2026.
In a notice to the industry, TIMB said auction floors will close on that date, while mop-up sales for remaining auction tobacco have been scheduled for August 5 and 6, 2026.
Contract sales will continue beyond July 31 until individual contractors have completed receiving tobacco deliveries from their contracted growers.
Despite the closure of auction floors, the 2026 marketing season recorded the highest tobacco volumes in the country’s history, although growers earned less due to lower prices.
According to TIMB’s latest statistics, Zimbabwe sold 344.2 million kilogrammes of tobacco this season, a seven percent increase from the 321.4 million kilogrammes sold in 2025, reflecting improved production and increased deliveries by farmers.
However, total earnings declined by 20 percent to US$859.6 million, down from US$1.07 billion last year. The decrease was largely attributed to a sharp drop in the average selling price, which fell 26 percent to US$2.50 per kilogramme from US$3.35 per kilogramme recorded during the 2025 season.
By mid-May, the sector had already marketed more than 266 million kilogrammes valued at over US$673 million. By Day 52 of the selling season on May 19, combined auction and contract sales had reached 255.93 million kilogrammes at an average price of US$2.54 per kilogramme, compared to 207.17 million kilogrammes at US$3.38 per kilogramme over the same period in 2025.
Auction sales continued to trail contract sales, with auction tobacco averaging US$1.82 per kilogramme on 17.74 million kilogrammes sold, while contract sales averaged US$2.59 per kilogramme on 238.19 million kilogrammes.
TIMB noted that auction prices remained below the cost of production for many growers who purchased inputs at commercial market rates.
The season was also characterised by quality challenges, with rejected tobacco bales increasing by 54 percent to 185,799. The rejection rate rose to 4.31 percent from 2.95 percent recorded during the previous season.
TIMB attributed the lower prices to global oversupply, reduced demand from key markets such as China, and subdued buyer participation during the early stages of the marketing season.
Analysts say the results demonstrate that increasing production volumes alone is not enough to maximise export earnings, highlighting the need for improved leaf quality, value addition and market diversification.
As the marketing season comes to a close, TIMB has reminded farmers of the legal requirement to destroy tobacco stalks in accordance with the Plant Pests and Diseases Act [Chapter 19:08] to prevent the spread of pests and diseases into the next production cycle.
With auction sales ending this week and mop-up sales scheduled for next week, attention now shifts to the completion of contract deliveries and preparations for the 2027 tobacco season.
