News / National
Zimbabwe tobacco auction season opens with 36.8% decline in sales
07 Mar 2025 at 08:25hrs | Views
The first day of full-scale tobacco auctioning for the 2025 season began on Thursday, with a notable decline in the quantity of tobacco sold, marking a 36.8% drop compared to the same day in 2024. Experts attribute the decline to the normal seasonal trend, with many farmers only just beginning their harvesting process.
According to an update from the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board (TIMB), a total of 69,475 kilograms of tobacco were sold on the opening day, down from 109,948 kilograms last year. This reduction is largely due to the late start of the rains during the 2024/25 agricultural season, as most farmers have only recently commenced harvesting. As the season progresses, the quantity of tobacco sold is expected to improve.
The first day's sales amounted to US$205,676, significantly lower than last year's figure of US$339,281. The average price per kilogram for this year's opening day was US$2.96, down from US$3.09 last year, with the lowest price recorded at US$0.10, a sharp drop from US$0.80 during the same period last year.
During the official launch of the 2025 tobacco selling season, Lands and Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka emphasized Zimbabwe's continued role as a preferred source of premium tobacco. He stressed the importance of maintaining the country's position in the global tobacco market, calling for further strategic alliances to boost production, enhance value addition, and promote local financing.
"Our tobacco is arguably the most widely exported product from Zimbabwe. We must endeavor to keep it this way. We must continue to explore strategic alliances to accelerate production, increase value addition and beneficiation, entrench local financing, and manage risk through diversification at the farm level," Minister Masuka said.
He also highlighted the need for a review of Zimbabwe's tobacco value chain and the development of a Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan as part of the broader Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy.
Despite the slow start, experts remain optimistic that the quantities sold will increase as more farmers begin harvesting, ensuring a more robust tobacco auction season in the coming months.
According to an update from the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board (TIMB), a total of 69,475 kilograms of tobacco were sold on the opening day, down from 109,948 kilograms last year. This reduction is largely due to the late start of the rains during the 2024/25 agricultural season, as most farmers have only recently commenced harvesting. As the season progresses, the quantity of tobacco sold is expected to improve.
The first day's sales amounted to US$205,676, significantly lower than last year's figure of US$339,281. The average price per kilogram for this year's opening day was US$2.96, down from US$3.09 last year, with the lowest price recorded at US$0.10, a sharp drop from US$0.80 during the same period last year.
"Our tobacco is arguably the most widely exported product from Zimbabwe. We must endeavor to keep it this way. We must continue to explore strategic alliances to accelerate production, increase value addition and beneficiation, entrench local financing, and manage risk through diversification at the farm level," Minister Masuka said.
He also highlighted the need for a review of Zimbabwe's tobacco value chain and the development of a Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan as part of the broader Agriculture Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy.
Despite the slow start, experts remain optimistic that the quantities sold will increase as more farmers begin harvesting, ensuring a more robust tobacco auction season in the coming months.
Source - NewZimbabwe
