Zimpapers Logo

Edgar Vhera Agriculture Specialist Writer

THE Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has warned farmers with ready tobacco bales against side-marketing saying the floors would be opening soon after the ongoing stakeholder consultations over probable opening dates.

In a twitter posting, TIMB said they were expecting high volumes of the golden leaf this year according to the crop assessment findings coming from all tobacco producing regions across the country. TIMB appealed to growers to desist from being tempted to sell their crop to unscrupulous buyers for quick money.

“Dear tobacco grower, even if your tobacco bales are ready, don’t sell to makorenyera (side marketing), the market is opening soon,” read part of the twitter message.

Baled tobacco ready for marketing

In another twitter posting, TIMB encouraged farmers to cure their crop well for the production of quality leaf, the TIMB saying: “Lets colour the leaf gold, the 2023 tobacco marketing season is starting soon.”

In terms of the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Act (Chapter 18:20), TIMB is mandated to control and regulate the marketing of tobacco in Zimbabwe, as well as promote, protect and maintain its sale.

Last year the Government crafted Statutory Instrument 077 of 2022, the Tobacco industry and Marketing (Prohibition of Side Marketing) Regulations, which is meant to criminalise side marketing.

Under statutory instrument 077 of 2022, “side marketing” occurs where a contract grower sells contracted tobacco to a buyer other than to a contractor that they were contracted to prior to extinguishing their contractual obligations with the indebted contractor.

It also happens where a buyer buys contracted tobacco prior to the grower extinguishing their contractual obligations with the contractor.

Lastly, it arises where an auction floor buys tobacco that has been contracted and the grower has not extinguished its contractual obligations.

Tobacco Farmers Union Trust vice president Mr Edward Dune said TIMB had the mandate to regulate tobacco marketing.

“TIMB is currently in consultations with the relevant stakeholders along the value chain over the commencement of the season, so with due respect we await the results thereof.

“Maybe mid-March will be fine so that meaningful quantities of tobacco are offered on the floors that warrant continued trading,” said Mr Dune.

Zimbabwe National Farmers Union president Mrs Monica Chinamasa said though irrigated tobacco farmers had finished curing their crop, the bulk of the dryland tobacco was being reaped and undergoing curing.

“To ensure continuity and no disruption in the marketing of tobacco, trading ought to start after easter holidays when most of the tobacco would have been cured,” said Mrs Chinamasa.

Curing of most of the irrigated tobacco has been completed with much of the crop awaiting auction or contract marketing.

Statistics from Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) report dated January 20, reveal that 16 percent of the total tobacco planted hectarage was under irrigation.

The good rains being received in most tobacco growing areas of the country have prompted farmers in different social media tobacco groupings to anticipate yields of above 220 million kilogrammes of tobacco or even more this season.

The Government and various tobacco stakeholders are currently conducting crop assessments to determine the condition and prospective yield estimates.