Zimbabwe Tobacco Production Rebounds Though Well Short of 2000 Record Sales
Tobacco production and sales went into a slide after President Robert Mugabe
launched fast-track land reform in 2000 through the often violent seizure of
white-owned commercial farms
Gibbs Dube | Washington 29 July 2010
Tobacco sales in Zimbabwe so far this year have reached 100 million
kilograms, beating the official target of 77 million kilograms set before
the selling season opened, and could mount to 120 million kilograms,
industry sources said.
Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board Chief Executive Njodzi Machirori said
sales of tobacco leaf have brought in US$297 million, nearly double sales in
2009 when the sector was reeling from a decade of land reform.
Machirori told VOA Studio 7 reporter Gibbs Dube that while Zimbabwe is still
far from the record 236 million kilograms sold in 2000, there are signs that
sales of tobacco will advance further in 2011.
“We are currently receiving one million kilograms of tobacco a day from
farmers and indications are that the next season will surpass this year’s
targets,” said Machirori. He attributed the high output to high tobacco
prices, early marketing of the national crop and stabilization of the
economy by the unity government in place since February 2009.
Tobacco has traditionally been a major source of hard currency earnings for
Zimbabwe.
Tobacco production and sales went into a slide after President Robert Mugabe
launched fast-track land reform in 2000 through the often violent seizure of
white-owned commercial farms by liberation war veterans.
Many so-called new farmers have turned from maize and other cereals to
tobacco for the hard currency income – but the widespread use of charcoal
for tobacco drying has devastated many wooded areas in the country.