Tobacco farmers hail new prices offered for the golden leaf

By Edmore Mhangami

Tobacco farmers have applauded buyers for the 25% increase in the buying price of this season as compared to last season ZimNews has learnt.

Tobacco floors in Karoi have increased their buying prices from US$2 per kilogram toUS$2.50 a kilogram this season.

This move has since been welcomed by farmers who spoke to this publication saying the initial charges are quite fair considering their hard efforts.

The farmers said such positive action by buyers will go a long way in allowing them to regain the capital they together with the input costs spend from pre to post season.

“Tobacco is the most expensive plant to farm apart from being costly; it requires a lot of attention from the planting to harvesting. It is from this background that as farmers we look forward to its lucrative returns,” said Mr Jonathan Ziyambe a tobacco farmer.

He said the charges offered also enable them to have a significant profit margin as compared to the previous farming season.

Another farmer who identified himself as Baba Taona shared the same sentiments.

He said the new prices offer at the floors have resorted tobacco to its status of being the golden leave.

“The prices also help us as farmers to pay back the loans we had borrowed from bank. This in turn will see a huge transformation in the cash flow and will solve economy flaws the country is facing,” he said.

Tobacco is the most rewarding plant in Zimbabwe.

As such most farmers had resorted to farming this profit oriented plant which saw the government initiating command farming in a bid to strike balances with other cereal crops.