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Mukudzei Chingwere

Herald Reporter

THE plan by Government to increase tobacco value addition and beneficiation from two percent to 30 percent of local cigarette production by 2025 is taking shape following the expected coming on stream of the 30 million kg cut rag facility per year.

Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga yesterday led a pre-commissioning tour of the US$120 million Cut Rag Processors (Private) Limited manufacturing plant in Harare.

Tobacco, commonly referred to as the golden leaf, is Zimbabwe’s single second largest foreign currency earner after gold.

As a result, Government is keen to see its continued expansion to grow the tobacco value chain into a US$5 billion industry by 2025 through the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan.

The plan also seeks to ramp up the production of alternative crops and increase their contribution to farmers’ incomes to 25 percent by 2025 as well as raise the level of value addition and beneficiation of tobacco into cut-rag and production cigarettes from 2 percent of total tobacco produced to 30 percent in order to increase exports of cigarettes by 2025.

Cut rag refers to tobacco that has been cut into fine strips for use in cigarettes.

VP Chiwenga said under the able leadership of President Mnangagwa, Government was committed to enhancing the productivity, value addition, and international competitiveness of the agricultural sector, with a particular focus on high-value crops like tobacco.

“This state-of-the-art factory I have just toured represents an important milestone in our efforts as the Second Republic to grow and modernise Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry.

“Tobacco has long been a crucial export crop and economic driver for our nation. Through strategic investments in infrastructure, technology, and skills development, Government is accelerating the transformation of Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry.

“As I toured, I noticed that the factory incorporates the latest manufacturing equipment and processes to improve efficiency, quality and safety.”

VP Chiwenga said he was happy the factory will create hundreds of jobs for the people, supporting the nation’s goal of broad-based, sustainable economic growth under the National Development Strategy 1.

Cut Rag Processors (Pvt) Ltd managing director Mr Caillin Mellet said they were now seized with the training of personnel, with highly skilled and specialised professionals set to boost their skills and culture of operating modern machinery.

“Our aim for this factory is not only for ourselves in terms of value addition to the economy, but also for the people who work for us in terms of upscaling and teaching the people we have how to operate the world class hi-technological machinery,” said Mr Mellet.

A new state-of-the-art facility they are building which boasts the latest technology and methodologies, he said, will help the company’s thrust of producing quality cigarettes.