• March 28, 2024

Zimbabwe’s growers take eight percent price hit

Zimbabwe’s 2015 flue-cured tobacco marketing season ended on Wednesday with growers taking a nearly eight percent hit on prices, according to a New Zimbabwe story.

Grower prices were down from US$3.20 last season to US$2.95 this season.

At the same time, volume sales were said to be down by 8.5 percent to 188.5 million kg because unfavorable weather had reduced production.

And Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) chief executive Andrew Matibiri said tobacco earnings had fallen from US$654 million in 2014 to US$555 million this year.

He said this year’s marketing season, which opened some weeks late in March, was a difficult one due to several challenges including the rejection of poor quality leaf by the major buyers.

Matibiri urged growers to continue striving to produce quality leaf to remain viable. “Farmers must listen carefully to what the market wants,” he said. “They must grow that which is demanded by the market.”