http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/country/zimbabwe.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://allafrica.com/stories/201002230065.html http://tobacco.org/news/297431.html A total of 59 810kg of tobacco valued at US$187 890 went under the hammer during the first two sales of the 2010 tobacco marketing season held on Tuesday and Thursday last week. The average price of US$3,14 per kg was higher than last year's US$2,98 per kg. All-Africa.com Zimbabwe Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www1.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=15688&cat=1 http://tobacco.org/news/297430.html Businesspeople are set to cash in on tobacco farmers following the establishment of a flea market at Mutsvairo Business Centre adjacent to Boka Tobacco Action floors. In an interview yesterday, Mr Dickson Mutsvairo — owner of the premises — said the move was necessitated by the need to provide reliable and traceable services to farmers. Zimbabwe Herald Zimbabwe Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=15498&cat=8 http://tobacco.org/news/297114.html THE 2010 tobacco marketing season opened yesterday with the first bale fetching an opening price of US$3,70 per kg. This was an improvement from around US$3 per kg for the first bales that went on sale last season. Prices for the other bales sold on the first day were between US$4,00 and US$0,80 per kg. A total of 288 bales were on offer at the Tobacco Sales Floors while about 200 bales were laid at the Zimbabwe Industry Tobacco Auction Centre at the Boka Auction Floors. Zimbabwe Herald Zimbabwe Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www1.voanews.com/zimbabwe/news/economy/Zimbabwe-Tobacco-Auctions-Begin-Early-This-Year-16Feb10-84491662.html http://tobacco.org/news/297108.html The tobacco auction season opened in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Tuesday, two months earlier than had been customary, with 800 bales or some 80,000 kilograms of leaf going under the hammer on two auction floors. Chief Executive Andrew Matibiri of the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board told VOA that the flue-cured tobacco was selling at a healthy average of US$4 per kilogram compared to the selling price of US$3 a kilo last year. Matibiri said: "The 2010 flue-cured tobacco auction sales started today and contract sales are expected to start this Wednesday." VOANews.com studio7@voanews.com (Gibbs Dube * Washington) Zimbabwe Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.newzimbabwe.com/business-1838-2010 tobacco auction opens/business.aspx http://tobacco.org/news/297107.html ZIMBABWE’S tobacco selling season opened on Tuesday with 77 million kilograms expected to be sold, almost double the 42 million kilograms shifted last year. The Tobacco Sales Floor and Zimbabwe Tobacco Auction Centre in Harare will open twice a week on Tuesday and Friday. Farmers are expecting better prices this year as Zimbabwe seeks to re-establish its place among the world’s leading tobacco producers after a decade of decline, partly caused by the government’s seizure of white-owned commercial farmland for redistribution to landless blacks. NewZimbabwe.com newsdesk@newszimbabwe.com Zimbabwe Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.hararetribune.com/business-a-tech/in-brief/766-tobacco-sells-high.html http://tobacco.org/news/297106.html Zimbabwe's annual tobacco selling season began on an upbeat note Tuesday when a bumper crop went under the hammer, attributed by industry officials to good prices and more farmers. In all, 77 million kilogrammes (77,000 metric tonnes) of tobacco were sold, an increase from 56 million sold last year, officials said. Njodzi Machirori, chairman of the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board, said higher production was due to firming prices in the industry and an increase in the number of farmers. Harare Tribune Zimbabwe Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/100216/world/zimbabwe_economy_farm_tobacco_1 http://tobacco.org/news/297082.html Zimbabwe's annual tobacco selling season began on an upbeat note Tuesday when a bumper crop went under the hammer, attributed by industry officials to good prices and more farmers. In all, 77 million kilogrammes (77,000 metric tonnes) of tobacco were sold, an increase from 56 million sold last year, officials said. Njodzi Machirori, chairman of the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board, said higher production was due to firming prices in the industry and an increase in the number of farmers. Agence France Presse Zimbabwe Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www1.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=15192&cat=1 http://tobacco.org/news/296605.html Acting Chief Makoni has urged tobacco companies contracting farmers in his area to engage in tree planting activities or risk being banned from operating in the area. He was speaking during a tree planting ceremony organised by the Mashonaland Tobacco Company at Bamba Growth Point, Chinyika Resettlement Area, last week. The company gave the 300 farmers it contracted 8 000 gum tree seedlings to plant, as efforts to replenish destroyed forests intensified in the area. Traditional leaders had protested against tobacco companies and growers and even threatened to ban them from the area after the wanton destruction of forests to get firewood for curing their tobacco. Zimbabwe Herald Zimbabwe Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://allafrica.com/stories/201001210334.html http://tobacco.org/news/295746.html The dry spell being experienced in many parts of the country has forced some tobacco farmers to reap their crop before it fully matures, accepting the largely poor yields rather than writing off the crop. Induced maturity in dry land tobacco has become widespread in Manicaland and Mashonaland East. The crop prematurely turns golden because of the hot weather. In Manicaland, most of the dry land crop is under severe moisture stress. However, the farmers say the crop can be salvaged if it rains soon. Mashonaland East provincial tobacco specialist Mrs Evelyn Matsika said the crop could still be saved, although the moisture stress would compromise leaf quality. "The province is also facing problems of deforestation as demand for wood for curing is rising. All-Africa.com Zimbabwe Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://allafrica.com/stories/201001150959.html http://tobacco.org/news/295564.html THE Zimbabwe Tobacco Association (ZTA) has cast doubts on the recovery of the industry this year, warning that threats by the government of the ejection of one third of its 150 remaining members from their farms could spell disaster for any positive prospects. ZTA president, Kevin Cooke said the effects of this "chaos" and mounting threats on a sector that produces about 10 percent of the world's flue cured tobacco exports would not only dampen farmers' spirits but severely undermine the recovery of Zimbabwe's agro-based economy. Already, disturbances on farms have seen tobacco output suffering massive knocks in output in the past decade to 45 million kilogrammes in 2008 from 237 million kilogrammes in 2000 when President Robert Mugabe's government embarked on controversial land reforms. All-Africa.com Zimbabwe Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.financialgazette.co.zw/top-stories/2380-tobacco-industry-recovery-in-doubt.html http://tobacco.org/news/295563.html Financial Gazette Zimbabwe Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.sundaynews.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=5325&cat=8 http://tobacco.org/news/295289.html THE country is projected to harvest more than 80 million kilogrammes of tobacco this season compared to the 56 million kilogrammes of the crop that went through the auction floors last season, an official has said. In an interview, the president of the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU), Mr Wilson Nyabonda, said the 80 million kilogramme target was possible this year because of an increase in the number of farmers who are growing the crop. He said the interest was spurred by the introduction of foreign currency. Sunday News Zimbabwe Sun, 10 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=33&dir=2009/November/Tuesday24 http://tobacco.org/news/293252.html TSHESEBE: The police have said they are still on the trail of smugglers suspected to have driven trucks loaded with high quality cigarettes into Botswana from Zimbabwe. This is contrary to reports that the culprits have been arrested and slapped with a P15,000 fine. The suspects escaped after the police confronted them, abandoning the contraband. The police recovered 133 boxes containing 66,500 cartons of Pacific cigarettes, 108 boxes with 54,000 cartons of Derby cigarettes and 128 boxes containing 64,000 cartons of Sevilles cigarette. Mmegi gmakaya@gmail.com Zimbabwe Botswana Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=12402&cat=8 http://tobacco.org/news/292728.html BRITISH American Tobacco will continue supporting underprivileged students to attain their goals by providing scholarships for tertiary education, the company said last week. Speaking at the presentation of two scholarships to two University of Zimbabwe students in Harare, British American Tobacco Zimbabwe Limited board member, Mr Jeremiah Tsodzai, said the company would continue to empower students especially those that were underprivileged. "We subscribe to the business principle of good corporate conduct which captures how the company strives to manage the business. Business success brings with it an obligation for high standards of behaviour and integrity in everything we do and whatever the company is associated with," Mr Tsodzai said. BAT Zimbabwe (Holdings) Limited managing director, Mr Lovemore Manatsa said so far 52 students had benefited from the Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme established in 2005. The scheme is run with the blessing of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education and has drawn participants from various State tertiary institutions and agricultural colleges around the country. Zimbabwe Herald Zimbabwe Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://allafrica.com/stories/200910230677.html http://tobacco.org/news/291808.html LACK of finance continues to hamper a proper rebound of tobacco production as the planting of irrigated tobacco started last week. Financing of the 2009-2010 tobacco season has been unstable, with prospective financers still to make a full commitment. This is likely to affect the anticipated increase in production which has far reaching effects on the entire economy. Zimbabwe Tobacco Association president Kevin Cooke confirmed that the planting of the dry land crop started last week. "Basically planting of the dry land crop went ahead well but there are problems with the unavailability of inputs and finance for the production of the crop," said Cooke. "There is a large number of tobacco farmers who have not received inputs on time and this may affect ultimate production." A rebound of tobacco production has continuously been hampered by unavailability of inputs. All-Africa.com Zimbabwe Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT