Zimbabwe: 2015 Tobacco Registration Clocks 75,000 Plus

Source from:  Chronicle 10/16/2014

More than 75,000 farmers have registered for the 2015 tobacco farming season, compared to 71,579 who had registered during the same period last year.

Latest statistics from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) indicate Matabeleland region, which is slowly becoming a tobacco growing region, has so far recorded 11 farmers who have shown interest in growing the crop in the next season.

Last year, 10 growers from Matabeleland ventured into tobacco farming.

"To date, about 75,580 growers have registered for the 2015 season as compared to about 71,579 who had registered by the same period last year," said TIMB in a report compiled early this month.

At present, the golden leaf is grown in seven regions namely, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Manicaland, Midlands and Matabeleland.

Mashonaland West has the highest number of growers who have registered for the next farming season, recording 24,455 while Mashonaland Central is second with 22,016 growers. Mashonaland East and Manicaland provinces have 12,913 and 12,488 growers respectively, while Midlands and Masvingo have 382 and 315 growers. Enditem