The Tobacco Research Board (TRB) expects its tobacco seed exports to reach a record 2 tonnes this year on strong order book from regional and international markets.
According to the board’s chief executive officer, Dr Frank Magama, the upsurge has also been influenced by a disease outbreak in Tanzania last year which almost decimated its entire crop leading to the east-African country turning to Zimbabwe for reliable and resilient tobacco seed varieties this year.
TRB directs, controls, and carries out tobacco research in Zimbabwe.
Its primary mandate is to develop and provide elite varieties and innovative agro-based technical services and products to maximize economic value from sustainable tobacco production.
It is also producing seed varieties for various other plants including hemp.
The board on average registers between 800 kg to one tonne in exported tobacco seed varieties to regional markets such as Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania as well as international markets in America.
“The export market is very encouraging,” Dr Magama told journalists at a media tour of the board’s operations this morning.
“For this year we can do 1 500 kg to 2 000 kg in export sales. Tanzania had an outbreak last year so they are already putting orders for our seed which is more resilient.”
Traditionally, tobacco seed sales peak after winter around August but already orders have started trickling in with 340kg already sold this year.
Tobacco seed demand has also growing in the domestic market too due to increased hectarage under tobacco as well as new farmers taking up tobacco production as a viable business.
The local market traditionally demand between 700kg to 1000 kg per year.
However TRB says it has already made available five year seed cover for the country’s requirements with 10 tonnes of tobacco seed set aside in various storage facilities across the country.
“The vision is to be self-sustainable. Currently 83 percent of our income is generated from our own endeavours including plant clinic, seed production and research. The tobacco levy used to sustain us 100 percent but now it is only contributing 17 percent of our income,” said Dr Magama.
TRB released four seed variants (T78, T79, T80 and T81) in March this year which are drought resistant and will enable tobacco production in areas it was previously not palatable due to unpleasant climate such as Masvingo, Matebeleland and Midlands region.
