BUYERS MAY LOOK FOR BURLEY FROM MALAWI

The latest US crop production report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows the following tobacco leaf trends:

• The area harvested in 2022 is 83,200 ha, compared to 88,600 ha in 2021.

• The total production in 2022 is 197,300 metric tons, compared to 216,800 metric tons in 2021.

Recent US government reports suggest that 2022 flue-cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco production is down around 9% on yearly basis, while Burley is down 22% and fire-cured is up 2%.

Harvesting of early planted tobacco has started in a number of regions in Zimbabwe. So far, farmers are reporting a good quality crop. As of the beginning of December, Zimbabwean tobacco growers have planted 53,571 ha of tobacco compared with 38,312 ha during the previous season, based on the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development data. Statistics also show that about 18,614 ha were put under irrigated tobacco and 34,957 under dryland tobacco. The number of licensed contractors by the local Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) is up by three to 42.

In the meantime, shortages of power in Zimbabwe are creating problems for farmers who rely on electricity to cure their leaf tobacco. This was largely caused by decline of output at the Kariba South hydroelectric plant due to low water levels. The Kariba dam is shared with Zambia. As a result, power needs to be generated on farms through the use of generators and consumption of diesel fuel is growing. The Zimbabwe Tobacco Association (ZTA) revealed that costs of production are at a record high and such problems severely compromise growers’ viability.

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