Registered farmers declined 19.3% to 101,443, yet planted area increased 21.7% to 113,536 hectares.
Source: Zimbabwe’s Increased Efficiency Base for Market Growth – Tobacco Reporter
Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) released projections for the 2025/26 growing season, interpreting the numbers as a nation that is becoming more efficient. Registered farmers declined 19.3% to 101,443, yet planted area increased 21.7% to 113,536 hectares, suggesting rising productivity and capital intensity. One such example of progress, according to the TIMB, is the irrigated planted area increasing to 24,000 hectares this season, up from 19,700 hectares last season.
Contract farming continues to dominate, accounting for about 75.6% of planted area, though industry observers note that the 15% share of self- or bank-financed growers offers renewed support for Zimbabwe’s traditional auction system.
Output is projected to climb to 400 million kg this year from 354 million kg last season, reinforcing tobacco’s position as Zimbabwe’s largest agricultural export and second-biggest foreign currency earner after gold. Export earnings reached $1.4 billion by mid-December 2025, down slightly year on year, as weaker demand from traditional Asian markets—particularly China—was offset by strong growth in Europe and steady gains within Africa. The European Union stood out, with export earnings surging 64.5% to $169.6 million, reflecting rising demand for Zimbabwe’s flue-cured Virginia leaf, while the Far East remains the largest market, accounting for 60% of total export value despite a 14% decline.
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