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Oliver Kazunga Senior Business Reporter
THE number of registered tobacco growers for the 2015 farming season in Matabeleland region has decreased by 21,4 percent to 14 compared to 11 recorded last year, official figures show.

Latest figures from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) reveal that Matabeleland, which in recent years has slowly been venturing into the tobacco sector, has so far recorded six registered commercial tobacco growers, two A1 and six A2 farmers.

On farmers who have registered for the upcoming season, the marketing board indicated that more than 97,000 growers from all the seven tobacco growing regions including Matabeleland have registered.

“To date, about 97,616 growers have registered for 2015 season as compared to about 106,372 who had registered by the same period last year,” said TIMB.

At the moment, Mashonaland West has the highest number of registered growers for the 2015 cropping season followed by Mashonaland Central with 28,929.

Mashonaland East and Manicaland had 16,632 and 16,619 registered growers respectively while Midlands and Masvingo have 593 and 406 registered growers respectively.

Meanwhile, seasonal sales for this marketing season were 178.9 million kilogrammes averaging $2.94 a kilogramme compared to 2014 sales which were 196.6 million kilogramme averaging $3.18 a kilogramme.

“Auction sales recorded 45.3 million kg at $2.48 a kilogramme compared to 48.8 million kilogramme realised in 2014 averaging $2.73 a kilogramme. Contract sales for 2015 recorded 133.6 million kilogramme at $3.10 a kilogramme compared to 147.8 million kilogramme realised in 2014 averaging $3.33 a kilogramme,” said TIMB.

Despite the tobacco sector contributing significantly in Zimbabwe’s economy, experts have called for the establishment of a tobacco processing plant locally amid revelations that the country was realising about 60 percent less than the real value of the processed crop from exporting unprocessed golden leaf.

As of July 3, Zimbabwe has exported 51 million kilogrammes to different parts of the world since January generating $282.7 million.