Originally Published: August 01, 2025 | 📰 Source: Herald | This content is aggregated by AllZimNews.com to bring you the latest Zimbabwe news from various sources. Edgar Vhera-Specialist Writer – AgribusinessGOVERNMENT has set a new flue-cured tobacco production target of 360 million kilogrammes for next year after output reached a record 350 million kg in the current 2025 marketing season, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka has said.He made the remarks yesterday at the Zimpapers Tobacco Conference, which ran under the theme, “Transforming Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Industry through Beneficiation and Value Addition”.Having surpassed both the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan (TVCTP) target of 300 million kg by 2025, Dr Masuka said the Government had set a production target of 400 million kg by 2028 under NDS2, which is being developed.“Government is expecting a minimum of 360 million kg of flue-cured tobacco next year. In the NDS2 (2026-2030), currently under discussion and set to be launched in November this year, a target of 400 million kg is targeted annually from 2028,” he said.Dr Masuka said he was of the view that the country could even reach 500 million kg and was considering recruiting a market scan expert to see how the country can increase its exports to more than 60 destinations.“In the TVCTP, we set out to achieve four things, and we have only managed one (production of 300 million kg). We are now at 351 million kg and we hope by the closure of the season it will be at 355 million kg,” he continued.Dr Masuka said the country was targeting to increase value addition and beneficiation from two to 30 percent by 2025 and is at around 10 percent.“We need to interrogate the strategies and actions we had put in place to identify what we did not do according to plan and what else we can do to ensure we reach the 30 percent mark.
We need to look at the whole tobacco marketing landscape in order to grow that whole value production chain,” said Dr Masuka.Dr Masuka said the country was targeting to increase value addition and beneficiation from two to 30 percent by 2025 and is at around 10 percent.The country’s unique selling point (USP) in tobacco is the desired flavour, which is sought out worldwide as a result of geography and climate.Minister Masuka queried why Cut Rag is being classified as processed tobacco, yet we can go beyond that to cigarettes. “We are getting US$2 billion this year, yet our cigarettes are worth US$60 billion. “We want to see more of the value retained,” he added.TVCTP also sought localisation of tobacco funding after the realisation by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) that for every US$1 earned, only US$0,12 was retained, while US$0,88 went offshore.“Government was set to put a seed money of US$60 million in tobacco financing, but as a result of competing needs and the EL Niño drought that happened last year, that was impossible. “We need to look at what alternative financing mechanisms we can come up with within the ministry,” the minister highlighted.
Dr Masuka decried the emergence of land barons encroaching onto farming land.Meanwhile, by day 103 of the ongoing selling season, 351 634 326 kg were sold at an average price of US$3,32 per kg and earning farmers US$1 168 932 453.This is a 52 percent increase in volume terms from last year’s 230 414 655 kg, while in value terms it rose 48 percent from US$ 790 362 912.Share on FacebookPost on XFollow usSave Zimbabwe Herald Source: Zimbabwe Herald All Zim News All Zim News is a central hub for all things Zimbabwean, curating news from across the country so no story is missed. Alongside aggregation, our team of nationwide reporters provides real-time, on-the-ground coverage. Stay informed and connected — reach us at admin@allzimnews.com.
