Staff Reporter
A delegation from the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) of the Philippines is currently in Zimbabwe on a mission to strengthen cooperation and share expertise in tobacco value addition.
The team has spent the past few days touring local auction floors, processing plants, and various sub-sectors linked to the golden leaf.
Speaking during a meeting with Zimbabwean officials yesterday, NTA Regulatory Manager, Robert Ambrose confirmed the Philippines’ intention to forge long-term partnerships that enhance mutual benefits.
“We have been in Zimbabwe for the past few days, and our mission is to explore areas where we can collaborate, particularly in the production of tobacco. While we have a comparative advantage in processing, Zimbabwe leads in raw tobacco production, and we see great potential in combining our strengths,” said Ambrose.
He emphasised that the Philippines was keen on contributing to Zimbabwe’s broader tobacco value chain, where both countries can benefit from increased efficiency and profitability.
Zimbabwean officials welcomed the collaboration, highlighting the opportunity to learn from the Philippines’ advanced processing capabilities.
Acting Executive Secretary of the National Economic Consultative Forum, Muzi Muzite, noted that this partnership aligns with Zimbabwe’s strategic push for value addition in agriculture.
“This is an ideal opportunity for Zimbabwean farmers and processors. We have made significant progress in production, and by leveraging the Philippines’ expertise in processing, we can unlock greater value across the entire tobacco chain,” Muzite said.
Government officials are equally optimistic. Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mangaliso Ndlovu, underscored the strategic importance of the visit.
“The Philippines brings world-class expertise in tobacco processing. Zimbabwe stands to benefit immensely from this cooperation, which will help us address the current gaps in our value chain and improve economic returns from our number one export crop,” said Minister Ndlovu.
As part of their fact-finding mission, the Filipino delegation is also expected to visit local tobacco-producing farms to gain firsthand insight into Zimbabwe’s agricultural systems.
The proposed collaboration comes at a time when Zimbabwe is intensifying efforts to shift from raw commodity exports to value-added production, in line with its Vision 2030 economic transformation agenda.
