From All Africa

The number of farmers who have registered to grow tobacco in the 2014/15 period is up nearly 10 percent to 71,000 compared to the same period last year as preparations get underway for the new season, the industry regulator has said.

Latest data from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) shows that communal farmers are dominating the numbers although registration continues.

Tobacco farmers are by law required to register with the industry regulator as a measure to bring order in the growing and selling on the country’s most lucrative crop.

“To date, about 71,078 growers have registered for 2015 season as compared to about 64,784 who had registered by the same period last year,” the TIMB said in its September report.

The data shows that communal farmers at 32,903 and A1 farmers at 26,539 dominate the sector. Farmers in the A2 and small scale commercial areas make up the remainder.

Indications from the farmers unions are that some planting of the crop, which is under irrigation, is already underway and is expected to go on till year end. Zimbabwe in the 2013/14 season produced 215 million kilogrammes of the gold leaf worth nearly $670 million.

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