TOBACCO contract farmers earned US$2.1 million in the first two days of the start of the golden leaf marketing season, a price higher than free-funded tobacco that fetched US$610 556.
The season opened on Thursday.
According to Tobacco Industry Marketing Board sales statistics, private auction floors prices were higher than last year.
Contract floors’ highest tobacco price per kilogrammes was at US$6.50 slightly above the 2020/21 price that was at US$6.30.
Free funded auction floors ceiling price was US$4.96. The average price for both auction floors was US$2.62 per kg, higher than the 2021 season US$2.38.
Meanwhile, Agriculture deputy minister Vangelis Haritatos, pictured, recently said that the private sector is augmenting the efforts by the government to increase agriculture performance, especially in the tobacco value chains.
“Tobacco is Zimbabwe’s biggest foreign currency generator and 186.6 million kg of leaf tobacco valued at US$515.9 million was sold during the 2021 marketing season according to the TIMB.
“The figures are up 16.8 percent in volume and 31 percent in value over the 2020 sales. The TIMB noted that contract farming is the dominant supplier of tobacco, accounting for 93.4 percent of total sales compared to 6.6 percent for sales on auction floors,” Haritatos said.