Preparations for the 2025 tobacco season are continuing, with farmers procuring seed enough to cover more than 139 000 hectares.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) weekly bulletin shows that the amount of tobacco seed sold so far is 12 percent more than what had been sold during the same period last year.
According to the bulletin, farmers have bought 695,82 kilogrammes of seed, enough to cover 139 164 hectares, compared to 622,50kg, enough to cover 124 500 hectares last season.
Most farmers with irrigation facilities have sown on seedbeds, while others are still planting.
Sowing on the seedbed starts on June 1, 2025, for the irrigated crop, which is mostly grown by contracted farmers.
Most smallholder farmers who rely on rain-fed agriculture are expected to start sowing in July and August.
Meanwhile, farmers have sold 321 million kilogrammes of tobacco on the floors worth more than US$1 billion.
Stakeholders are now looking beyond 330 million kilogrammes with others estimating this year’s volumes to reach 400 million kilogrammes.
Zbc
