Tobacco Industry Headed for Boom

Source from:  The Times of Zambia (Ndola), July 27, 2004  07/28/2004

TOBACCO Association of Zambia (TAZ) has signed an agreement with two agricultural firms to engage in a project that will secure the country's tobacco seed and increase the sector's contribution to the economy. In a statement made available yesterday, TAZ said an agreement was reached at by the Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust (GART) of Zambia, the Lowveld Tobacco Growers Association (LTGA) of South Africa and TAZ after identifying the potential and size and the tobacco sector's contribution to Zambia's economy. The statement reads in part: "The increase in the importance and size of Zambian tobacco to the national economy led to the collaborative agreement for ensuring that Zambia can be provided with tobacco seed security in the future." The project is expected to introduce new seed on the Zambian market. The four seed crops have already been introduced. "Currently on-farm-trials of different tobacco cultivators are being run, and four seed crops will be registered this season with the Seed Control and Certification Institute at Mount Makulu. "The development of the new varieties specific for Zambia will enable us to improve the quality of our crop," it says. The new seed varieties would also improve tobacco trade and benefit both small and big Zambian farmers. The project will be managed by GART, while the technical expertise and genetic material will be supplied by LTGA. TAZ will coordinate the project's business development. Mrs Nyreen Nel represented TAZ, while GART and LTGA were represented by Dr Stephen Muliokela and Mr Anton Scholtz.