Zimbabwe's 2020 tobacco marketing season's auction floor opens today

Zimbabwe's 2020 tobacco marketing season officially starts today. The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness at all auction floors, which have complied with coronavirus preventive measures, including setting up clinics and isolation sites.

The tobacco industry and farmers have confirmed their readiness for the opening of the selling season, but low volumes of the crop are expected in the first two days as farmers get accustomed to guidelines set up by TIMB.

Not all growers will be allowed to attend sales. Growers with less than 100 bales per sale are not allowed to attend the sales and shall nominate a TIMB-registered grower representative.

The number of people on the floors will now be minimized to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

TIMB chief executive, Dr. Andrew Matibiri has confirmed on April 28 that all was set for the official opening and said awareness campaigns on the new regulations of coronavirus preventive measures were continuing.

"Auction floors will open tomorrow(today) and contract sales on Thursday. Deliveries are still low. We are continuing with awareness campaigns to farmers and we are confident the message of the Covid-19 preventive measures will get to all farmers," Matibiri said.

Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) director Mr. Paul Zakariya said irrigated tobacco was ready for marketing and work was underway to harvest and cure.