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Business Reporter
TianZe, one of the major tobacco contracting companies, has pledged to continue supporting farmers and develop the industry.

The company, which occupies between 15-20 percent of the market share, said it has complied with the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board Covid-19 regulations and preventive measures.

These include setting up isolation sites, footbaths, nurses checking on the farmers and a limited number of staff and farmers who will come to the floors.

In an interview yesterday, TianZe managing director, Mr Ye Hai, said they were ready for the opening of the 2020 tobacco selling season.

Contract floors open today but TianZe said it will start sales on Monday.
“We are ready for the season. We have footbaths, and we have set up isolation sites.
“Last season we bought 62 million kilogrammes of processed tobacco at the value of around US$50 million.

“Besides contracting farmers, we also buy tobacco from merchants. We have laid bales for our farmers and we are happy with the quality of the crop.

“We are also looking into value addition. Today the Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrance Shiri, passed through to have an appreciation of our operations and he was impressed with our system.

“He has advised us to go into value addition and encouraged us to expand our investments in the agriculture industry using the same contract system that we have been using for tobacco,” he said.
Mr Hai said they were already working on value addition of tobacco to increase earnings and benefits to the sector. Zimbabwe’s Look East policy has seen Chinese companies investing in various sectors of the economy.

The investment drive has not only helped Government to successfully rebuff effects of the sanctions, but also benefiting the people.

TianZe Tobacco is a Zimbabwe-registered international tobacco merchant involved in tobacco contract growing, auction floor purchasing, processing and exporting of tobacco to China.