HARARE – Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry has registered 127,000 growers for the 2024/2025 season, reflecting a 10% increase from the previous year, Information Minister Jenfan Muswere said Tuesday.
Speaking at the first post-Cabinet briefing of the year, Muswere highlighted that 92% of the registered growers are under contract farming. Tobacco merchants have also stepped up efforts to enhance food security by providing maize and sorghum inputs to their contracted farmers.
The total planted area for tobacco stands at 132,851 hectares, a 16% rise from the 2023/2024 season, Muswere said.
The minister also provided updates on Zimbabwe’s broader agricultural outlook. The government aims to increase cereal production to 3.2 million metric tonnes, a dramatic 340% jump from last season’s 744,000 metric tonnes.
Preliminary data shows that 99% of the targeted maize area for the current summer cropping season has been planted. Under the Presidential Input Scheme, 11.4 million plots have been cultivated, exceeding the 9.5 million target by 20%.
Additionally, cotton planting has seen a 40% rise, with 203,875 hectares planted compared to 145,265 hectares last season. The final crop assessment is underway to provide a more detailed picture of production levels.
