Tobacco sales begin today raising hopes that this could ease the liquidity crunch that the country has been going through.
This year’s crop is expected to be about 170 million kg up from last year 153.3 million kg.
According to the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board, 89 624 growers have registered for the 2014 marketing season, 47 percent being communal, 34 percent A1, 11 percent A2 and 8 percent small-scale farmers.
More than 20 000 new farmers went into tobacco this year as farmers go for cash crops abandoning the staple maize.
Initially, Zimbabwe was expected to produce only 1.3 million tonnes of maize this year but it is not clear how much it will realise because of the torrential rains which have forced some villagers to abandon their homes and fields.
Zimbabwe realised US$877 million from last year’s tobacco sales.
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