tobacco deliveries improve in #zimbabwe

Tobacco deliveries this year are expected to end above the
210 million kilogrammes mark with 209,8 million kg having
already been delivered to the floors so far.
The 209,8 million kg represent a 31,74 percent increase
from the 159,3 million kg that was delivered during the
same period last year.
Farmers have so far earned $666,1 million kg from the 209,8
million kg at an average price of $3,17 per kg, which is a 13
percent increase from the $587,9 million that they received
during the same time last year at $3,69 per kg.
Contract sales have continued despite the official end to the
selling season with the closure of the auction floors on June
27 after 89 trading days.
Auction floors brought in 50,5 million kg at an average price
of $2,70/kg compared to 53,4 million kg after 99 days of
sales, at an average $3,54/kg during the same time last
year.
However, contractors handled the bulk of the crop this year
accounting for over 70 percent of all deliveries.
According to Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board chief
executive Dr Andrew Matibiri deliveries are expected to
close soon at just over 210 million kg.
"We have three contractors that are still receiving tobacco.
A clearer picture will emerge after the clean up sales," he
said.
Mop up or clean up sales for the flue cured tobacco will be
held today.
According to TIMB the clean-up sales might, however, be
conducted over more than one day, depending on volume of
deliveries. Stakeholders in the tobacco industry said the feat
achieved this year is a clear and bold statement to the
country's detractors that the land reform had destroyed the
agriculture sector.
"Tobacco farmers have done a remarkable thing because
we are close to surpassing our peak period figure. This
should be emulated with other crops such as cotton," said
one of the stakeholders.
The 209,8 million is just 26,8 million kg shy of the country's
peak production figure of 236,6 percent that was achieved in
2000. To date, about 106 455 growers have registered for
2014 season compared to about 91 278 who had registered
by the same period last year.
Tobacco is one of the country's top foreign currency
earners and is expected to contribute the most to the 9
percent growth in agriculture this year.
Tobacco is one of the key crops that are expected to anchor
the nine percent growth in agriculture this year within the
framework of the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-
Economic Transformation.