TOBACCO industry stakeholders have raised alarm over an influx of cheap, low-quality seeds allegedly smuggled from Zambia.
A dossier titled Inquiry on Impact and Control of Illegal Zambian Tobacco Seed in Zimbabwe warned that this could undermine the country’s reputation for producing premium flue-cured tobacco.
Growers, who used uncertified seeds in the past, suffered significant financial setbacks, with some planting cigar-wrapper tobacco instead of flue-cured varieties, rendering their crops unmarketable.
Kutsaga Research Board head of genetics Francis Mukoyi confirmed reports of illicit seed sales, including unapproved old varieties and landraces labelled as Kutsaga hybrids.
“Our locally-bred and rigorously-tested varieties guarantee the quality international buyers expect. Growers must avoid uncertified seed,” he warned.
“We had recent and unfortunate scenarios where some farmers unknowingly bought seed and used it on their four hectares in the 2024-25 season what turned out to be a cigar wrapper type of tobacco and not the intended flue-cured type.”
Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector set a new record this season, producing 350 million kilogrammes of tobacco.
Meanwhile, wheat production has also reached an all-time, high with local farmers harvesting over 600 000 metric tonnes, returning Zimbabwe to being one of the top wheat producers on the African continent.
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Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) board chairperson Ivan Craig said the country had recorded unprecedented yields across key crops.
“Recently, we released funding to rehabilitate and upgrade our irrigation systems, enabling us to meet a new ambitious target of 850 000 metric tonnes of maize this summer season,” he said.
Agriculture ministry secretary Obert Jiri attributed the growth in yields to government-led irrigation projects, modern farming practices and strong financial backing for strategic inputs.
“We are excited that Zimbabwe has not only achieved food security but is now an emerging world leader in agricultural exports,” he said.
“With record tobacco and wheat yields and the rise of our horticulture sector, we are truly regaining our status as the breadbasket of southern Africa.”
