By Itai Ndongwe
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s 2026 tobacco marketing season has opened on a subdued note, with auction floors calling for increased buyer participation to help improve prices for growers.
At the start of the season this week, only three buyers were present at Premier Tobacco Auction Floors, while four buyers attended the Tobacco Sales Floor (TSF), raising concerns that limited competition could suppress prices.
According to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), a total of 48 contractors have been licensed for the 2026 marketing season, including 47 flue-cured tobacco contractors and one shisha tobacco contractor, alongside 46 Class A buyers.
The marketing season officially opened on March 4, but the prices being offered have left many farmers disappointed.
The opening bale sold for US$4.60 per kilogram, slightly lower than the US$4.99 recorded at the start of the 2025 season. Some bales fetched as little as US$0.40 and US$0.50 per kilogram, while others ranged between US$0.70 and US$0.80 depending on quality and grading.
Premier Tobacco Auction Floors has so far recorded an average price of US$1.65 per kilogram, representing a 42 percent decline from last year’s average of US$2.85.
Premier Tobacco Auction Floors operations manager Samuel Garaba said increasing the number of buyers at the auction floors would help improve competition and drive prices upward.
“We feel that the participation of more buyers can help raise prices so that farmers receive better returns for their tobacco,” said Garaba
The TIMB said it sympathises with growers over the low opening prices but expects the market to stabilise as more buyers begin participating in the auction system.
“We encourage all growers to remain calm and allow normal market dynamics to firm up as broader buyer participation continues in the coming days,” said the regulator
TIMB also urged farmers to deliver well-graded and properly presented tobacco to maximise returns.
One farmer who spoke to The Anchor on condition of anonymity said the current prices were discouraging for growers who had invested heavily in production.
“As a farmer, it’s disheartening to see such low prices at the start of the season. We are hoping that as more buyers come on board, prices will pick up and we will get a fair return for our hard work,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s tobacco prices are also being influenced by global market dynamics, with a current oversupply driven by increased production in major tobacco-growing countries such as Brazil and India.
