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Charity Ruzvidzo Business Reporter
MORE than 35,000 communal farmers have so far registered for the 2014/15 tobacco season, according to the latest figures from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB).

“Communal farmers make up the bulk of the golden leaf producers at 35,316, followed by A1 farmers at 28,458. A2 farmers are 6,838 and small scale at 5, 933,” reads part of the report.

Overally, more than 76,000 farmers have registered for the tobacco growing season so far, which is an ongoing process.

“76,545 farmers have so far registered for the 2014/15 tobacco farming season. Mashonaland West has the highest number of growers who have registered recording 25,896 from 24,455 farmers. Mashonaland Central is second with 23,276 growers from 22,016. Mashonaland East and Manicaland have 13,669 and 12,946 growers respectively, while Midlands has 416,” reads the report.

Matabeleland region, which is slowly showing interest in growing the crop, has recorded 12 farmers.

Meanwhile, more than 85 million kilogrammes have, since the beginning of the year, been exported to different parts of the world, earning the country $448,9 million, at an average price of $5,26 a kg.

With the golden leaf emerging as a top export earner, most farmers in the country are turning to tobacco production abandoning or reducing the hectarage of other crops.

Tobacco selling has already been smooth when compared with other crops especially cotton, which is mired in controversy almost every marketing season.

The golden leaf is the country’s second largest foreign currency earner after mining. The sector has become one of the major sources of revenue since the adoption of the multi-currency system in February 2009.