Zimbabwe: Tobacco Expo Set for Next Month

Source from:  The Herald (Harare) 05/27/2004

TOBACCO farmers will this year be treated to a Tobacco Expo scheduled to take place from the 9th to the 11th of June. The aim of the expo is to create a focused and effective business interaction forum between growers, contractors, suppliers and the industry, service providers and other relevant institutions in a serious business environment. "There are many changes that have taken place in the industry, which prompted the need for such a get-together function. Growers needed to fully understand the tobacco contracting system introduced by Government last year and this function would enable such interaction to take place," the director of Sirmad Private Limited, the organising company, Mrs Plaxedes Gutsa, said. Companies and organisations expected to attend include leaf merchants, tobacco contracting companies, cigarette manufacturers, suppliers of chemicals and fertilisers, agricultural equipment, coal merchants, packaging suppliers, financial services providers, technical and research services companies, tobacco associations and other stakeholder institutions. A sizeable number of new growers are set to benefit from this initiative through interaction with all stakeholders in the industry under one roof. Sources in the industry indicated that the number of new growers has significantly increased in the past two years. The number of registered growers has doubled from about 14 000 two years ago to a figure close to 30 000 for the 2003/04 season. The expo would also come as a highly cost effective platform for the suppliers, service providers and other institutions for reaching out to the growers "Stakeholders in the industry are looking forward to this event to maintain and build their relationships in the tobacco industry with the major players in the supply and service industry. The tobacco sector has already secured prime business stands at the expo," Mrs Gutsa added. At least 15 companies have confirmed their participation at the expo. As the 2004/5 season approaches, the forum is expected to enable interaction with various suppliers in the industry so that growers know the required resources and inputs. "Hopefully, this event will kindle inspiration and resolve to rebound production and flavour sooner than latter," said Mrs Gutsa. Tobacco production is this year expected to be around 60 million kilogrammes a figure below that of last season of 82 million kilogrammes. Despite the expected decline in crop volume, this years buyers on the auction floor have indicated that the quality of the crop is better than that of the previous season. Growers have attributed the good quality to overall favourable growing conditions following good rains for the 2003/4 season. Enditem