Zimbabwe opens Tobacco Marketing Season with COVID-19 caution

29 Avril 2020

Harare, Zimbabwe, April 29 (Infosplusgabon) - Zimbabwe's Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement minister Perence Shiri has told the tobacco industry to continue implementing COVID-19 (coronavirus) risk reducing measures till the marketing season ends.

While Zimbabwe has a COVID-19 national lockdown in place which is expected to lapse this upcoming Sunday, Statutory Instrument (SI) 94 of 2020 exempted the tobacco sector from this measure.

However, this was with conditions that tobacco players practise recommended guidelines to reduce COVID-19 infections.

“Statutory Instrument 94 of 2020 encourages the decentralized selling of tobacco. This should be the main thrust of the industry from now and ahead as this reduces crowds in Harare and is also in line the government policy of devolution,” said Shiri, at the official launch of the 2020 Tobacco Marketing Season on Wednesday in Harare.

“Additionally, deliveries of tobacco to the floors can be re-structured by consolidating loads to minimise the number of farmers and human traffic coming to the markets and at the same time reducing transport costs paid by the farmer. Similarly, with the use of information technology, growers can monitor virtual sales of their tobacco crop in the comfort of their homes without the need of travelling to the selling floors.”

He added: “Please be consistent in turning your practical guidance into action to avoid continued spread of the diseases. I urge everyone to continue to implement these guidelines up to the end of the season even after the lockdown is finally lifted in order to avoid resurgence in cases.”

Shiri encouraged tobacco growers to monitor their tobacco sales from their homes without travelling to the auction selling floors.

The Tobacco Industry Marketing Board (TIMB), government's tobacco authority, reported that the number of registered growers is 148,084 for the current marketing season compared to 178,721 in the prior year with more than 7,609 new growers.

Uncertainty around foreign currency retention and unfavourable weather conditions contributed to the drop in growers.

TIMB chairman Patrick Davenish said being allowed to operate during the lockdown enabled tobacco farmers to plan and prepare for 2021 season on time.

“The tobacco season has an 18-month production cycle. Thus, further delays would have had a deleterious delay in terms of preparations for 2021 production season including establishment of seedbeds resulting in a loss of two consecutive seasons, something that would have had harmful consequences on the overall economy of the country,” he said.

Fewer growers and grim weather conditions reducing tobacco hectarage by six percent to 100,426 hectares in the 2019/20 agricultural season from 106,558 hectares in the comparative period are expected to lower export proceeds from the crop.

Further, COVID-19 trade restrictions to curb the spread of the virus in China and South Africa, Zimbabwe’s two top exports markets for tobacco accounting for nearly 63 percent of the local crop, are also expected to reduce exports.

Tobacco is the second biggest source of foreign currency after gold through export proceeds.

In the 2019 tobacco season, a record output of 259 million kilogrammes was produced.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/RDF/GABON2020

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