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Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
Tobacco sales have surpassed the target set by industry with 192 million kilogrammes having been traded at the auction floors this season. This is despite a poor rainy season characterised by erratic rains and flooding. The country is a major tobacco grower, and agriculture is identified as one of the pillars of the economic turnaround programme.

Stakeholders in the tobacco industry had set a target of 85 million kilogrammes, down from the 222 million kg Government had predicted.

Zimbabwe produced 216 million kg in 2014 and 165 million kg in 2013.

Latest Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board statistics show that by last Friday; 192, 4 million kg worth $566 million were sold by farmers since the opening of the tobacco selling season.

This is a decline of 8, 5 percent from the 209 million kg worth $666 million sold during the same period last year.

The selling season for the auction floors closed at 46,5 million kg worth $113million while sales at the contract floors have reached 146 million worth $453 million.

Among the contractors that bought high volumes are Northern Tobacco which bought 27, 8 million kg worth $98, 4 million, TianZe 25, 1 million kg worth $92, 5 million, MTC 23 million kg worth $66, 5 million while Zimbabwe Leaf Tobacco bought 17, 4 million worth $53, 7 million.

TianZe offered the highest price of $6, 25 per kg while others offered above $5, 50 per kg.

Auction floors maintained the ceiling price of $4,99 per kg throughout the season.

The marketing season for auction floors closed on July 15 and mop up sales will be carried out on August 4.

The 2015 season has been described by farmers and tobacco experts as a difficult one as the crop was affected by heavy rains and drought which resulted in low yields.

Last year, the selling season closed on July 7 and farmers sold 216 million kilogrammes of the crop.