By Tinomudaishe Muzanenhamo
Tobacco contract sales floors have opened in Karoi with prices surpassing US$5 per kilogramme, marking a strong start to Zimbabwe’s 2026 tobacco marketing season.
Farmers from across Hurungwe District gathered at the sales floors following the nationwide opening of tobacco marketing on 4 March.
By Tuesday, the contract floors were recording a top price of US$5.35 per kilogramme, raising hopes among growers for improved earnings this year.
The government says it is also focusing on increasing value addition in the tobacco sector in order to maximise economic returns from the crop.
Marian Chombo, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in Mashonaland West Province said decentralised processing could help boost benefits for local communities.
Farmers attributed the encouraging prices to favourable rainfall patterns and the timely distribution of farming inputs, which allowed them to plant early and produce higher-quality tobacco leaf.
Meanwhile, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board expects production in Mashonaland West to increase this season.
Regional manager Aid Taruvinga said the province which produced about 106 million kilogrammes of tobacco last year could reach between 112 and 115 million kilogrammes this year.
Authorities have also urged farmers to maintain good field hygiene practices, including destroying tobacco stalks after harvesting, in order to prevent pests and diseases and protect future crops.
Mashonaland West Province is one of Zimbabwe’s ten provinces and has its administrative capital in Chinhoyi.
The province includes districts and towns such as Kariba, Hurungwe, Makonde District, Norton, Chegutu, Kadoma, Mhondoro-Ngezi District, Sanyati District and Karoi.
