Tobacco prices in Zimbabwe have dropped sharply at the start of the 2026 marketing season, raising concern among farmers and industry officials. The operations manager of Premier Tobacco Auction Floors, Samuel Garaba said prices recorded during the opening days of sales were about45% lower than those seen last year. Speaking at a media briefing in Harare, Garaba said many farmers had arrived at the auction floors hoping for strong returns, but were instead faced with disappointing prices.
“I think the morale has gone down on our farmers because the prices are not welcoming at all when we compare to the last season,” he said. Garaba added that the situation could improve if more buyers participated in the auctions as increased competition typically pushes prices higher. “If we have more buyers coming on board, it may stimulate competition and possibly improve the prices for growers,” he said.
Farmers at the auction floors also voiced frustration after prices began falling soon after the season opened with some saying the sudden drop was unfair and left them struggling to recover their production costs. Zimbabwe is one of Africa’s largest tobacco producers and the crop remains a major source of export earnings.
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