The Economic Planning and Investment Promotion ministry has revised downwards tobacco deliveries expected this marketing season to 133 000 tonnes, after escalating production costs, weather patterns, power shortages and lack of support schemes affected output. According to a First Quarter Economic Review, the ministry said tobacco deliveries to the country’s four tobacco auction floors may not meet the projected 150 000 tonnes this selling season.
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The ministry said delays in planting due to the dry spell experienced late last year, coupled with frequent power outages and coal shortages, affected production and could reduce deliveries of the cash crop. “Tobacco output was initially projected at 150 000 tonnes at an average yield of 1,67 tonnes per hectare (t/ha) for the 2011-2012 season. However, this projection has been revised downwards to 133 000 tonnes with an average yield of 2,1 t/ha,” the ministry said in a quarterly review. “When the rains finally came, they were in excessive amounts in some areas, which generally impacted on operations and also caused crop diseases.
In addition, hailstorms received in the country between January and February also damaged the crop in some areas.” The 2012 tobacco selling season started on February 27 2012 with four auction floors buying the crop from farmers. As at March, a cumulative total of 36 660 476kg of tobacco had been sold at an average price of $3,70 per kg and the total value of the sold as at March 30 2012 was $135,8 million.
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