by Tapiwa Mutonhodzi

Tobacco sales continue on an upward trend during this year’s tobacco selling season, a source has revealed.

Speaking to Harare Post, the source from Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) speaking on condition of anonymity said after the end of the Tobacco sales season on 21 August 2018, close to a billion dollars was earned.

“The just ended 2018 Tobacco selling season which ended on 21 August 2018 saw 250 624 750 kgs of tobacco worth $732 570 941. Sales trends this season surpassed those in 2017 which totalled 186 475 068 kg’s of tobacco worth $553 309 792 resulting in a 32% increase of tobacco sales,” said the source.

“Sales are still continuing, contract mop-up sales are to be held on 28 September 2018, and are expected to contribute more earnings towards the billion dollars tobacco foreign earnings target mark by Government in 2019,” the source also said.

Harare Post has learnt that statistics of tobacco sales are on an upward trend owing to an improvement on delivered quantities and sales earnings. Improvements on tobacco sales owe to the increased participation by farmers in tobacco farming. Currently Zimbabwe is at its peak of tobacco production output ever since the commencement of tobacco farming, the last record sales occurred in 2002 when 236 million were sold.