Tobacco farmers rake in US$128m

FARMERS have earned a collective U$160 million from the sale of 43 million kilogrammes since the opening of the tobacco selling season in February.
This is an increase of 25 percent from the US$128 million realised during the same period last year.
The latest Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board statistics show that the weekly throughput recorded 11,1 million kg with a weekly averageprice of US$3,85 per kg.
Contractors raked in 6,5 million kg averaging US$3,91 per kg with the remainder being sold at an average price of US$3,77 per kg.
According to TIMB, sales to date have risen to 42,8 million kg at an average price of US$3,74 per kg.
During the same period last year seasonal sales were 34,5 million kg averaging US$3,71 per kg.
The Tobacco Sales Floor is the auction floors having sold 6,1 million kg worth US$23,1 million.
Boka Tobacco Floors sold the second highest amount of tobacco with 6 million kg having gone under the hammer while Premier Tobacco Floors sold 4,6 million kg worth US$16 million.
So far a total of 600 799 bales have been laid at both auction and contract floors with 561 429 sold.
A total of 32 404 were rejected for various reasons such as being too wet, mouldy or of mixed hands.
To date, about 82 833 growers have registered for 2013 season compared to about 58 801 who had registered by the same period last year.
Small-scale farmers are dominating as they constitute more than 80 percent of the registered growers.
There are 35 755 A1 registered growers, 32 966 communal, 7 843 small-scale and 6 278 A2 farmers.
The growth in the number of tobacco growers has been attributed to the increase in the number of farmers due to the land reform and the attractive prices being offered by buyers.
The attractive prices has seen 30 percent of traditional cotton growers shifting to tobacco during this season.
A total of 170 million kilogrammes are expected to be sold this season as the country moves towards regaining the status as one of the top tobacco producers in the world.http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72937:tobacco-farmers-rake-in-us128m&catid=47:agriculture&Itemid=139#.UWKCtjcR3IU