The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
Zimbabwe has recorded the highest tobacco production in its 198 years of history, as the country’s tobacco output in the ongoing 2023 marketing season currently stands at 261 million kilogrammes, surpassing the previous record of 259 million kilogrammes.
Cabinet on Wednesday received an update on the record tobacco output which was presented by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka.
Presenting a post-Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services Minister, who was the acting Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere said Government policies in the agriculture sector continue to bear fruit.
“The country’s tobacco output in the ongoing 2023 marketing season currently stands at 261 million kilogrammes, surpassing the previous record of 259 million kilogrammes.
“This is on the backdrop of the fact that 85 percent of the tobacco is being produced by smallholder farmers, 60 percent of whom are beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme, demonstrating that Government policies in the agriculture sector are sound and continue to bear fruit,” he said.
As the deliveries for the current marketing season hit record levels, according to the latest statistics from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) the country exported about US$407 million worth of tobacco during the first four months of 2023.
Ranked number two in terms of exports after gold, tobacco shipments amounted to US$407,1 million as of April 30, 2023, the central bank figures show, compared to about US$308 million by April 13, 2022.
Last year, Zimbabwe’s tobacco exports totalled US$968 million from US$575 million during the same prior year period.
At its peak, the country produced 253 million kg, while under the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation strategy, the country seeks to increase tobacco output to 300 million kg by 2025, enhance value addition and beneficiation to around 30 percent through the production of cigarettes and grow the industry to US$5 billion by 2025.
Meanwhile, on Thursday (tomorrow) President Mnangagwa is set to commission the Chivhu Dam.
“In another remarkable achievement which buttresses Government’s thrust of “nyika inovakwa nevene vayo”, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development announced that President Mnangagwa will tomorrow, the 15th of June 2023, commission the Chivhu Dam.
“The Dam, another demonstration of the 2nd Republic’s drive towards infrastructural development in all areas, will ensure adequate water supplies for reticulation, irrigation, tourism and other activities, thereby significantly boosting the Chivhu local economy,” said Minister Muswere.
