Tobacco Asia

56 tobaccoasia Issue 6, 2022 November / December By Thulani Mpofu Zimbabwe's contract floors were still accepting farmers' final deliveries into late September to conclude a tobacco year in which erratic rains curtailed output but yielded a high quality leaf and prices. The 2022 selling season ended officially on July 20. Auction floors closed on that day but contrac- tors are allowed to continue taking deliveries often up to the end of September. At the official end of the marketing period, farmers in Africa's top growing nation had sold 187 million kg, 4.92% less than the 196.7million kg they had sold in 2021. Although there was a decline in output, this year's leaf fetched much higher prices thanks to its better quality compared to 2021 when the country received normal to above normal rainfall. Farmers had, by July 20, shared US$569million, a 4.17% jump from the 2021 revenue of $546million. The seasonal price average for this year improved from US$2.78/kg last season to US$3/kg. "We produced a high-quality crop in tough growing conditions," farmer Believe Tevera told Tobacco Asia. "The price was better this year than last year but the drought resulted in us realizing a smaller harvest." By September 29, 2022, the 120th day of the marketing season, according to figures from the indus- try regulator, Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), national output had risen to 207,997,515 kg compared to the 210,725,122kg sold by the same day in the previous year. Contractors, who spon- sor the production of more than 95% of the local crop, had bought 195,408,428kg while the auction floors bought 12,589,088 kg. In terms of revenues, farmers received US$636,163,454, 8.03% up on 2021's US$588,860,366. Contractors, according to the TIMB release, paid US$595,875,081 of the total sum at an average price of US$3.05/kg with auction floors shelling out US$40,288,373 at about US$3.20/kg. In 2022, both contract and open floors paid a mean price of $3.06/kg compared to $2.79/kg in the prior year. Zimbabwe: Lower Volumes; Higher Prices A man shows off his crop in Zimbabwe. (TIMB photo)

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