Zimbabwe Close to 100 Million kg Season

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 07/21/2010

Zimbabwe had sold 96.9 million kg of flue-cured for US$287.1 million, at an average price of US$2.96 per kg, by Thursday last week, according to a story in The Herald. By the same stage of last year's sales, 56.4 million kg had been sold for US$169.2 million, at an average price of US$3.00 per kg. Of the total sold so far this year, 59.2 million kg was sold under contract for US$184.0 million, at an average price of US$3.11 per kg, while 37.6 million kg was sold at auction for US$103.1 million, at an average price of US$2.74 per kg. In his mid-term review last week, Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, said agriculture would grow by 18.8 per cent this year, driven by tobacco, whose production would be up by 67.3 per cent from 55.6 million kg during 2009. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's tobacco growers are expected to produce 150 million kg from 90,000 ha during the 2010-2011 season, according to an AllAfrica.com story quoting Agritex figures. Speaking at the Zimbabwe Farmers Union tobacco conference in Harare recently, Agritex tobacco specialist, Sheila Bhaureni, said the forthcoming tobacco season would see a major increase in tobacco production, though delegates raised a number of concerns about continuing challenges, including the absence of financial aid for smallholder farmers. Enditem