Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has deferred implementation of the electronic marketing system to next season following the introduction of financial inclusion at the auction floors.
The e-marketing system, which was aimed at increasing transparency in the marketing of tobacco at the auction floors, was expected to be rolled out this season.
TIMB communications manager Mr Isheunesu Moyo said the process was going according to the plan.
“We are on track according to our plan. It is a conscious decision to implement it next season. This season saw the introduction of financial inclusion and we did not want to introduce many things to farmers at the same time,” he said.
Last year the TIMB was finalising agreements with an Indian firm for the acquisition and installation of the requisite software and hardware.
In addition to implementing the new system, TIMB said it would also work on a raft of measures to eliminate side marketing of the golden leaf.
The TIMB has continued shutting the door on class B buyers after registering 22 Class A buyers for the season.
Class B buyers have been accused of ripping off farmers by playing middlemen for growers whose tobacco has been rejected on the auction floors.
Some farmers still complain of corruption at the auction floors, which has seen some growers bribing officials to influence prices.
Meanwhile, tobacco growers have earned over half a billion dollars from the sale of the flue-cured variety this season.
TIMB statistics show that farmers have sold 171 million kilogrammes of flue-cured tobacco worth $502 million.
This is an increase of 5,45 percent from the 162 million kg worth $479 million which went under the hammer last year.
Contract farming has dominated the tobacco industry with the bulk of the crop coming from contracted growers.
According to the statistics, 138 million kg worth $419 million of the crop so far has come from contracted growers while 32,3 million worth $83,8 million were sold through the auction system.