A new tobacco production record has been set in Zimbabwe with over 300 million kilograms of leaf tobacco sold since the tobacco auction sales opened in March. Sales to-date have exceeded $1 billion in value making it a record season.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has confirmed that Zimbabwe has officially surpassed its all-time national tobacco production record of 296 million kg that was achieved in 2023, after this year’s seasonal cumulative sales reached over 300 million kg this past Wednesday.
Last season saw a total sale value of $715 million with the current sale season set to end in July, the current season could well be a record breaker that will stand for some time.
Zimbabwe Leads Tobacco Production in Africa
Zimbabwe is the largest tobacco producer in Africa, accounting for 25% of the continent’s production, while its global share of tobacco crops accounts for 2,8%. Other top producers include China, Brazil, India, the USA, and Indonesia.
The Zimbabwean economy will welcome the improvement in foreign currency earned with the countries currency one of the worst five currency performers of all African currencies so far in 2025 and will help ease their current balance of payment deficit.
In 2021, Zimbabwe launched a tobacco value chain transformation plan, aiming to increase leaf tobacco production to 300 million kg annually and transform the industry into a 5-billion-dollar industry by 2025.
As a pillar of Zimbabwe’s economy, tobacco is primarily exported to China and South Africa, among other countries, significantly contributing to export earnings and rural livelihoods
