TOBACCO growers in Zimbabwe, Africa’s largest producer of the cash crop, are gearing up for this year’s marketing season, set to start in March.
Despite unfavourable weather conditions that affected some of the crop, farmers remain hopeful for a successful season. The farming season was characterised by the late onset of rains, with some regions experiencing severe hailstorms.
Chelesani Tsarwe, public affairs officer at the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board, said that while the previous season saw a record high of 296 million kgs of tobacco, this year’s projection is around 250 million kgs due to the dry spell experienced. The Zimbabwean government aims to increase production to 300 million kgs per year by 2025. – Xinhua