By Wellington Makonese
The 2021 tobacco marketing season will open on April 7, while contract tobacco Sales will begin a day later, Tobacco Industry Marketing Board chief executive, Dr Andrew Matibiri has said.
Meanwhile, tobacco growers in Bindura are now ready for the marketing season.
For growers at Glamorgan in Bindura, the foreign currency retention threshold, which rose from 50 to 60 percent, is a timely incentive.
“We are expecting contractors to buy our crop fairly and we praise government for the 60% forex and 40 percent RTGS, which will allow us to purchase important utilities and be able to go back into the field,” said a grower.
Another said, “The 60% retention is a positive development, on the ground farmers will continue increasing their tobacco spaces.”
“We are into farming for profit, therefore the government move will allow farmers to be able to buy assets and build houses,” another said.
While the growers have already undergone Covid-19 awareness training, area legislator, Honourable Remigio Matangira is also excited at the prospect of decentralising auction centres.
“If farmers are to bulk their produce and partners will send lorries straight to their floors, they build a floor here it is a major development, what more would we want?
“We actually want to decentralise from Harare and have floors right here where the tobacco is cured, it will avert unnecessary costs and social problems,” he said.
Glamorgan is a predominantly tobacco growing area, which is expected to contribute towards the nation’s target of at least 200 million kilogrammes of the golden leaf.
The post Tobacco marketing season starts April 7 appeared first on ZBC NEWS.